The End of You and Me
by ExcellentDriver
Summary: Unfortunate events and misunderstandings break Booth and Brennan apart. Will their love be enough to bring them back together?
1. Chapter 1

**I know I haven't been the best example when it comes to multi-chapters lately. But**_** Biba's**_** birthday is coming and she wanted me to write her a fic. She wanted it to be angst and have Christine in it.**

**So, this is how we got here. This is different from the things I've written before, and it was really hard to find way to make it work, but I hope you'll like it!**

**I would say **_**Happy Birthday, Biba!**_** But since it's not here yet, I don't want to jinx it!**

**I have no beta so I apologize for all the mistakes and typos. They are all mine.**

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"That was fun." Christine smiled widely as they left the rink. "I think I might even be better than Parker."

Booth chuckled.

"Now, I don't know about that, we'll have to check it next time he comes to visit, but you are getting pretty good at this, baby." He sat next to his daughter on the bench and helped her out of her tiny skates. It's been their Sunday routine for a while now, to come to the ice skating rink and skate all afternoon. Christine struggled at it at first, but his little girl wasn't the kind to give up on things easily. She would fall on the ice and ask him to help her up. Now, weeks later, she finally made it through the entire rink without falling or holding his hand. She was very proud of herself, and so was he.

"I'm not a baby, Daddy. Sam is a baby." She frowned as her father put her pink glittered flats on her feet. This was her latest thing: everything had to have glitter on it. "I'm almost five."

"Oh, five? No, no… I don't think so." Booth teased.

"Yes, I am. Remember last year when I had my party and we had a magician and he gave me that Purple Butterfly Barbie he took out of his hat? And Michael was running because I asked him to get Parker's phone 'cause he gets mad when we get his phone and it's funny and Parker was running after him and Michael stumbled on Uncle Sweets, who was getting my tiara that fell from my head from under the table and fell and lost his tooth?" She jumped out of the bench and took her father's hand.

Booth put the skaters back on his backpack and stood up too.

"Yeah, I remember." How could anyone forget _that_?

"That was my fourth birthday, and 5 comes after 4 and you told me that my birthday is coming."

"Well, I guess that's true then. But… you'll always be my baby. No matter how old you are, Cricket." Booth lifted her up on his arms and kissed her on the cheek, getting a soft giggle as a reward. His little girl was indeed getting big. Sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday when she was no longer than his forearm.

"Can we get some ice cream now?" She smiled. She wasn't allowed to get sugar during the week, but weekends were a different story.

**B&B**

"When is Parker coming to visit again?" Christine licked her scoop of Vanilla ice cream, her neat pigtails bouncing around her head. After four years, Booth had become a pro hairstylist.

"I don't know, baby. Now he's back at school, so he probably won't come back until Christmas."

"When is Christmas?" She asked curiously.

"Three months from today."

"I _love _Christmas." Christine grinned.

"I love Christmas too." He agreed.

"And Mommy loves it too."

The mention of her mother made his stomach fall. It'd been six months already, but time didn't make him feel any better. Especially when Christine made comments like that and reminded him of how things used to be. She was right when she said her mother loved Christmas. Despite Brennan's lack of religion, they celebrated Christmas every year after they got together. They'd go out to buy the perfect tree and then they would go home to decorate it together. When Christine was a baby, she'd be on her seat and watch the lights and her parents as they set it up, once she got older, she'd happily help them putting the ornaments in the tree and bossing Booth around with the lights. They'd have Christmas carols playing in the background and they'd dance until Christine was so tired she'd fall asleep on the couch. And then it was time for him and Brennan to have their own little time of fun.

He wondered how things could have come down so fast after that. How he could let things end up the way they did.

It's been nine months since it started to get bad, six since he left home. Six months since he talked to her about anything other than their daughter.

"Is it, Daddy?" Christine was asking him something and he realized he'd zoned out for a moment.

"I'm sorry, what did you ask, baby?"

"England, is England very, very far?"

"Yes, very far. We have to get a plane to go there."

"Or a boat, right? Mommy showed me a map and said there's an ocean between America and England."

"That's right."

"Dr. Kyle asked Mommy and me to go on his boat." His blood froze in his veins when he heard that name. So Dr. Kyle was still at the Jeffersonian, and, as it seemed, still very interested in Brennan. "But I don't like going on boats, they make my tummy hurt."

Christine frowned and she looked so much like her mother that his heart skipped a beat. They had the same blue eyes, and when she frowned, her forehead creased exactly the way Brennan's did when she was confused or just not happy about something.

"You and Mommy went on Dr. Kyle's boat?" He couldn't help asking.

She nodded, her mouth too occupied with her ice cream to answer.

"I had to put on a lifesaver jacket. I didn't want to 'cause I know how to swim but Mommy said I had to anyway." She shrugged.

Booth wondered why Brennan didn't tell him that. Of course, given the circumstances of their break up, it was no wonder she decided not to mention Dr. Kyle. He didn't give a damn if she wanted to go out with the dandy, but there was no way he'd allow her to take his daughter along with them.

"Michael had to get one, too, and he also knows how to swim."

"Michael was there, too?" Now that was surprising.

"Yes, and Aunt Angela and Uncle Hodgins and Sam, he also had to wear a lifesaver jacket but he should too 'cause _he_ doesn't know how to swim, and Aunt Cam and Wendell and Clarissa and Clark and…"

"So, the whole Jeffersonian?"

"Not the whole, Daddy, they wouldn't all fit in the boat!" Christine giggled at his silliness.

She looked so adorable, giggling like that, with ice cream on the tip of her nose and her bright blue eyes shinning that he couldn't help but smile.

"But was it fun, going on the boat?" He asked.

"Dr. Kyle let me drive the big wheel and it was fun, but then my tummy hurt and Mommy gave me a medicine and it was _disgusting_." She made a face.

"Was it?" He chuckled.

"Yep. Mommy said it tasted like cherries but I like cherries, Daddy, and it tasted _nothing _like cherries."

"So, no more boats."

"Dr. Kyle told Mommy we could come back to the boat anytime we wanted." Christine said. "He said next time he could take us to a place where we could get in the water and see the fish!"

_Of course he did_. What was it with Brennan and guys with boats?

"Do you want to go on the boat again?"

"I don't know. I don't want to take that icky medicine again." She shook her head. "But I'd like to see the fish."

"Well, we could go to the aquarium, and then you could see the fish and you wouldn't feel sick." He offered. "What about that?"

"I like the aquarium." She grinned. "Mommy could come too?"

She asked him so hopeful it broke his heart. He doubted Brennan would want to come with them. The aquarium, just like the Sunday ice cream at the diner, was part of their weekend routine. During the first weeks of the separation, Christine would ask him why Mommy wasn't coming to his games anymore, or why she wasn't going to the diner with them, but she stopped once she noticed it only made her father sad.

Christine would sleep most of nights with her mother, he didn't want to change her life even more bouncing her from his new tiny apartment to the house, but he saw her almost everyday. He'd pick up her from pre-school and drop her off at home or at the Jeffersonian. He could call and talk to her anytime he wanted. When she got back after running away with Christine when she was still a baby, Brennan promised him she'd never take their daughter away from him again and she kept that promise.

But it wasn't the same. He missed waking up with a tiny hand poking his shoulder or squeezing his face. He missed the smell of pancakes and fresh coffee early in the morning. He missed reading his daughter bedtime stories before she went to sleep.

And he missed _her_.

It wasn't like he'd only lost his girlfriend or the mother of his child. He lost his partner. She was his partner in every meaning of that word: she was his confident and his lover and his best friend. He missed that more than anything.

"I don't think she'll want to come, Cricket." He tried to smile, but the effort wasn't enough.

"But Mommy loves the aquarium, we love the dolphins." Christine said hopeful.

It was killing him. He looked at the watch and saw it was almost eight already.

"Oh, look at the time, I have to take you home, baby." Booth decided it was better to cut that conversation there before it went to places he didn't want it to.

Booth paid the diner bill and took a frowning Christine to the car.

His usually very talkative daughter was quiet in the ride back home. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and held him tightly as he took her out of the car and walked her home.

"I don't like that you leave and don't sleep here anymore, Daddy." She sniffed against his neck.

He held her a little tighter. He hated this moment even more than she did. He hated that he couldn't call the Might Hut his home anymore. The house he helped building with his own hands and the house that gave him so many good memories. The house of his _family_.

It was like fate was laughing at him. A little over a year ago, he was certain he couldn't be happier. Parker was spending the summer with them, Christine was healthy and happy and Brennan made him feel blessed everyday. His life was filled with laughter and love and happiness.

But now it was gone. Parker was back in England, he didn't talk to Brennan anymore and Christine was the only thing making him get up every morning and look forward for a new day. He didn't know how he'd go through all of it without his daughter brightening up his days.

And it was especially because of that that he was surprised to hear about the boat trip just now. Because he saw his daughter every day and until this afternoon, he hadn't heard about it. They must have gone sailing the Saturday before, when he had to go on that work assignment with the FBI. But still, it was surprising that Christine hadn't mentioned it until today.

As he rang the bell – look how low it had ended; he had to ring the bell of his own house. He had the key, of course, but he didn't want to startle Brennan one of these days while bringing Christine in – he decided maybe it was time to have a little talk with Brennan. She might want to go and sail with her doctor, but there was no way she'd take their daughter with them behind his back.

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**So, what do you think?**

**Want to see how Brennan is dealing with this?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all the reviews. They mean so much to me, especially now that seems like no one else is reading Bones fanfiction anymore. It's good to know you're still here! :)  
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**So here is chapter two…**

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Brennan was writing a chapter for her new book series when she heard the bell. Or trying to write, at least, since it seemed inspiration vanished during those past months. She had a pretty good idea what was the reason of her lack of inspiration lately, but she preferred not to blame it on that. It already had way too much weight in all the other things in her life.

She got out of the bed and threw a cardigan over the t-shirt she was wearing, walking eagerly down the stairs. The house was so silent without them. Once she thought there was nothing better than a silent place, somewhere she could work hours and hours without interruption. It all changed, of course, during the past years. She despised those hours when Christine was away with Booth and she was home alone.

Sometimes she'd go to the Jeffersonian and work, because staying at their empty house was way too depressing. She wondered how things ended up like this. How her conversations with Booth went from light-hearted chatting to fighting. Yes, they always bantered and bickered, it was a part of who they were, but they never fought before. Not the way they started fighting nine months ago.

She took a deep breath as she reached the door. She hated this.

"Mommy!" Christine exclaimed happily when she saw her. Everyday she was thankful for her daughter. She had no idea what she would have done without her.

"Hi, baby." She hugged her and looked up at Booth, not really matching his eyes. "Hi, Booth."

He looked bigger than when he did when left home, it was obvious he's been working out on his free time. She wondered if he should be working out so hard, especially after everything that happened to him on the New Year's. He looked pale and the light she loved so much in his eyes was gone. She told herself she shouldn't worry about him, that it wasn't her place anymore. But you can't just stop caring about a person, even if you're not on good terms with them any longer. And Booth would always be her daughter's father.

"Hi, Bones." He wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Christine, now in her arms. It was always like that now. They would avoid eye contact as much as possible. Not that they had to try very hard, since they almost never actually met in person.

"Mommy, we went ice skating and now I can stake around the _entire_ rink without falling!" Christine told her mother excitedly.

"Oh, that sounds great, honey." Brennan smiled.

"You should come see me next time, Mommy." Christine said. "You can watch Dad and I if you don't want to skate."

She wanted to. She missed those times the three of them would go out together. But she knew how it would end now.

"We'll see." She always said that when Christine asked her to go somewhere with Booth, and she hated to give false hopes to her daughter, but she couldn't get herself to say she that wouldn't go, that she _couldn't _go because it hurt too much. "Hmm, I think someone needs a shower." She sniffed her daughter's neck and Christine chuckled.

"I'm not stinking, Mommy."

"No, you are not, but you still need a shower and it's almost time to go to bed." Brennan said. "Thanks for bringing her, Booth."

He nodded and stopped her before she could say goodbye.

"I need to talk to you, Bones." He noticed how she froze at those words. They didn't share more than a couple of lines every time he came to pick Christine up or drop her off. Most of the rest of their communication was through e-mail or phone calls and even those were as short as possible. "It's about Christine." He whispered.

Brennan thought for a while and then nodded. "I'll give her a bath and put her to bed."

**B&B**

Twenty minutes later Christine was coming down the stairs next to Brennan, wearing her favorite pajamas – one with happy blue elephants all over it – and carrying her inseparable old pink bunny.

"She wanted to say goodnight." Brennan said.

"I'll put her to bed." Booth said, taking his little girl in his arms. It's been so long since he put Christine to bed, her own bed, that he experiences a pang of longing for those days when it used be a normal thing.

"Goodnight, Mommy." She reached out to Brennan to give her a kiss.

"Goodnight, baby." Brennan stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.

When they reached the second floor, Christine leaned her head on his shoulder and asked: "Will you stay, Daddy?"

"For a while, I need to talk to Mommy."

"Will you yell?" She asked in a small voice. He hated that Christine had heard them fighting. That was one of the reasons they decided separating was the best. Their daughter deserved more than two parents who would fight all the time.

"No, baby, we won't yell." He kissed her temple.

"Good, 'cause I don't like when you yell." She sounded so sad that he wanted to punch himself forever for making her go through that.

When they reached her room, he stood there at the doorway for a few seconds before entering. It was still yellow, the same color he painted it when Brennan was pregnant. They chose pale yellow because they thought the color was soothing and happy. They wanted their daughter's room to be a place she felt comfortable and warm. It was a pretty room and he was proud of that.

Christine's bed was on the right side of the room and he lied her down carefully, kissing her forehead before standing up again.

"Will you read to me, Daddy?" Christine loved bedtime stories, and it used to be one of his favorite moments of the day.

"Sure. What do you want me to read to you tonight?" He grinned, pulling the chair closer to her bed.

"_Little Red Riding Hood_." She yawned and snuggled against her fluffy covers.

"_Little Red Riding Hood_ it is." Booth smiled, picked the book from the shelf and started reading.

**B&B**

It didn't take long until Booth was back in the living room and Brennan was sitting on the couch pretending to read a book. She felt her stomach turning. It was the first time in six months that they were in the same room, alone.

"Is she asleep?" She asked.

"Yeah, she dozed off before Little Red Hiding Hood even left the house to visit grandma." He tried to smile. This conversation used to happen at their bed, when he came back to the bedroom after putting Christine to sleep and Brennan was waiting for him.

"She looked like she had an exciting day." Brennan offered.

"Yeah, she's really getting good with the skates." He said proudly.

"She definitely got that from you." She tried to ease the tension. That comment brought a little chuckle out of him and she couldn't help but smile too as she remembered how it was whenever he tried to take her ice-skating. They tried a couple of times, until she admitted skating was definitely not one of her many exceptional skills.

Now looking at them like this, she thought that maybe they could still have civilized conversations. But he was there for a reason, so she went straight to the point: "So, what did you want to talk to me? Did something happen with Christine?"

"Christine told me you went out on a boat with Kyle." He said, trying to speak casually but the bitterness in his tone was impossible to hide. Their little moment was gone.

Brennan creased her forehead, the same way Christine did earlier at the diner.

"Yes, last Saturday. Dr. Kyle invited the team to go on a trip on his boat to celebrate a new progress on the project." She said. She felt like this conversation probably wouldn't end up well and it saddened her.

"Oh, I bet it's very exciting. Why not take you on a boat trip, right? Great way to celebrate." He snorted. Sun, good drinks, warm breeze and Brennan in a bikini. _Yeah, the doctor must have loved that._

"_Booth_." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She would not let it go far. She would not fight with him again. Not tonight.

"Look, Bones, I don't care about what you do with that doctor of yours, but you sure as hell should let me know when you take my daughter on boat trips with him." His voice was low, but his tone was far from sweet.

"We went out with our friends, Booth. I can't see why it bothers you so much."

"You know I hate that guy, Bones." His eyes met hers and he held the gaze. "You know it. That's why I didn't know about it until this afternoon."

"I don't meddle into your time with Christine." She said between teeth, fury building inside her.

"I don't want her near him." He stepped closer, his breathe fastening. He wanted to tell her he didn't want_ her _near that asshole of a doctor either. But he knew that would only make things worse.

"We work together, Booth, and Christine is often at the Jeffersonian. It's impossible for her not to see him ever." She said, tired. She didn't want to fight. She was so tired of fighting. "But if it bothers you so much…"

"It _does_." He was standing so close to her she could almost feel his heart beating.

"…I promise I'll let you know next time a circumstance like that arises again." She sighed and stepped away from him. "Now, go. Please. I want to go to sleep."

She looked pale and tired and he noticed she had lost some weight. There were shadows under her eyes and he wondered if she was getting any sleep at all. He doubted it. God knew he hadn't had a good night of sleep in months. He wanted to go back nine months and get that bastard before he had the chance to shot him. Before he had the chance to change their lives. Before he had the chance to ruin their family.

He wanted to say goodbye, but there was a knot on his throat and words failed to come out, so he just turned around and left, the door slamming after him.

Brennan looked at the closed door for a while, as if she was waiting for it to open again.

But it didn't, so she just let herself fall on the couch and cried.

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**Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for all your reviews and alerts! I'm so glad people are interested in knowing what happened and what will… hopefully this chapter will give you another hint…**

**P.S: Booth's nickname for Christine was_ Biba79_'s idea. I was having a hard time choosing one that fit and she suggested that and I think it's very cute.  
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It had been seven months since Booth got back to work and he still hated every second of it. His office was still the same, he would never complain about that. He had his hockey pictures on the wall, and his family's pictures on frames all around the room. Well, pictures of Parker and Christine now. He still kept Brennan's pictures on that third drawer he knew he barely used, not that he'd admit that to anyone. He just couldn't make himself take them away. There was that picture of her and Christine when Christine was still a little baby that he loved so much, and that one of the three of them at the park, with a smiling two-year old Christine on his shoulder and Brennan leaning on him affectionately, laughing at a silly joke he made. It was one of his favorite pictures of them and looking at it now made him think about the way Brennan looked when he took Christine home the past Sunday.

It seemed like they were two completely different people, the Brennan in the picture and the Brennan now. She had lost a lot of pounds and her hair, shiny in the picture, was now lifeless and on a ponytail most of the time. He felt guilty, because he knew a big part of it was his fault. But he just couldn't get over of what she'd done to him. Or how she decided to work with Dr. Anthony Kyle instead of working with him. After being partners for 12 years, she gave it all up to go on a fancy project that supposedly would change history. And bring them a lot of money, of course.

The doorknob moved and he quickly shoved the picture back to the drawer.

It was Special Agent Shaw, and by the look on her face, whatever brought her to his office this afternoon wasn't good news.

"Agent Booth." She said hastily.

"Spill it out, Shaw. You look like you're about to puke."

"It's Muñoz, sir." The young agent held her hands together, as if trying to keep them from shaking.

Booth froze on his chair, the scar on his chest suddenly burning.

"What about him?"

"He… he escaped, sir."

**B&B**

"I can't go to France next week, Dr. Kyle." Brennan told her co-worker.

"But we need you there, Brennan. This presentation will be of extreme importance for the future of the project. The greatest scientists of the world are going to be there and-"

"You and Dr. Wick are more than capable of handling the presentation by yourselves." Brennan cut him off before he could finish. She would not go to France for two weeks for another conference. She'd already invested too much of her life on this project, she wouldn't give it even more. Maybe the Brennan from ten years ago wouldn't think twice about the opportunity to talk about the brilliant discoveries they made in the past months, but the Brennan from the present had way more important things to worry about. "I'm not leaving my daughter for two weeks."

"You can take her with you, just hire a nanny or-"

"She has school to attend and I'm not taking her away from her father for that long." Would she have to spell it out for him that no matter what he said, she was not leaving? Even if it was _only_ for two weeks?

"But Brennan…" He insisted.

Christine was drawing in the other side of the office and took her eyes off the paper to look at her mother and Kyle, curious as to what they were discussing, even though she couldn't really hear what they were saying from where she was standing. Brennan noticed her daughter's gaze and decided it was time to end that discussion.

"That's enough, Dr. Kyle. I'm not going. I'm more than willing to help you and Dr. Wick with whatever you need here, but nothing you say will make me go on that plane."

"If that's your final word…" Kyle sighed.

"It is my final word."

Brennan was about to dismiss Kyle from her office and call it a day when she saw Christine's face lightening up right before the little girl jumped on her feet.

"_Daddy!_" Christine was running to the door and jumping on Booth's arms before Brennan had time to process what was happening. It's been months since Booth came to her office.

"Look at this, don't you look like a little squint yourself?" He chuckled as he looked at his daughter's attire: a tiny blue lab coat with _Dr. Christine Booth _written in white right bellow the Jeffersonian logo, a pair of blue jeans and black mary-janes. Her shoulder length straight dark hair was tied up in a ponytail and her bangs were brushed to the side of her forehead. For a moment, he forgot everything that had happened and just smiled goofily at his child. "You look like a little Bones_._" He said softly.

"Aunt Cam gave me the lab coat 'cause she said that since I'm here all the time I'm an hononorary scientist and should have my own lab coat." Christine explained.

"You mean_ honorary_." Brennan corrected her and it was just then that Booth realized they weren't alone in the office.

Standing next to Brennan was none other than the infamous Dr. Anthony Kyle, looking just as dashing as he did the first time they met. He was just a couple of years younger than Booth, but his shiny blonde hair and baby blue eyes made him look more like he was in his 30's than his real 40's. He was tall and well built, way too brawny for a squint, in Booth's opinion.

"Agent Booth." Kyle nodded acknowledging his presence.

"Dr. Kyle." He said back and they held their gazes as if they were in a battle to see which one would be the last one standing.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" Brennan broke the silence, still chocked to see her ex-partner there.

"Well, hello to you too, Bones." Booth said wryly.

"I should get going." Kyle said, feeling the tension building inside the room. "I'll talk to you later, Temperance."

Booth followed the other guy leaving with his eyes.

"_Temperance_? So you guys are on first name basis now?" He scoffed.

"What are you doing here, Booth?" She asked again, ignoring his snarky comment.

Booth's face darkened, remembering he did have a good reason to come all the way to the Jeffersonian this afternoon.

"Something happened." He looked at the little girl still in his arms and decided it wasn't something he should say in her presence. "Is Angela here?" When Brennan nodded, he continued. "Do you think she could look after Christine for a while?"

Brennan noticed the concern on his face and nodded again. Booth put their daughter back to the floor and she took Christine's hand. "Come on, honey. You'll stay with Aunt Angela so Mommy can talk to Daddy, okay?"

"Will you see me again before you leave, Daddy?" Christine looked at her father.

"Of course, Cricket." He bent down to kiss the top of her head.

Brennan was back to the office a couple of minutes later.

"What happened?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Booth looked at her and sighed. He scrubbed his face and took a deep breath before answering: "Muñoz escaped."

Brennan's face went ghostly pale and she was glad she was standing next to her desk, otherwise she might have fell.

"_How_?" Her voice came out in a whisper, all her fears coming back so strongly she felt dizzy.

"You should sit, Bones." He told her, worried she'd end up hurting herself and knowing better than to touch her. She complied, sitting on the couch. He sat there too, keeping a safe distance from her. "No one knows yet how it happened, only that his cell was empty when they checked it this morning."

"How can a man escape a maximum security prison?" She asked, still not believing it was happening.

"They think he might have bribed someone, his followers probably helped. They are still investigating." He shook his head, feeling helpless. "I… I don't know how he did it, Bones!" He was mad. He was so mad this was happening. As if his life wasn't bad enough, his number one nemesis was somewhere out there again. Fernando Muñoz's was the last case he and Brennan had worked together. The man was a gang leader, he trafficked drugs from Colombia and was responsible for the death of over 83 women. He had been able to find a way to get away from all charges, until the day Brennan found enough evidence on two bodies they found at a lake to put the man in jail for the rest of his life and let him rot in there. Catching the son of a bitch hadn't been even close to easy, both he and Brennan almost lost their lives in the process, but finally the man was locked up for good. _Or so they thought_. "All I know is that he is wandering free and looking for revenge, and you and me happen to be on the top of his list."

Brennan rested her elbows on her knees, dropping her face in her hands. She remembered that terrible day a little over nine months ago when they went to catch Muñoz. All her issues with Booth started after that horrid night.

"What am I supposed to do?" Brennan asked hopelessly. Her blue orbits were covered with unshed tears and fear.

"I'm moving back to the house." Booth said. Nothing she could say would change his mind. The Mighty Hut had the best security system money could buy, something they invest after Christopher Pelant invaded their sacred place four years ago, but he didn't trust the machines to keep Brennan and Christine safe. Muñoz was smart, and even worse, he was powerful. They might have caught him, but he had a bunch of followers willing to do whatever the hell he ordered them to do, and now Muñoz was free and without a doubt, he was after them.

"What?" She was still so shocked with the news she didn't have time to process what he had just said.

"I'll sleep in the guest room in the first floor and I swear to you, you won't even notice I'm around. We both know that house is big enough for us to live and not see each other all day if we want to." He explained. "But I will _not _let you and my daughter defenseless in that house while there's a monster around wanting our heads on a silver platter."

He expected Brennan to say that it wasn't necessary, that she could take care of herself and their daughter and that she didn't need him, but she didn't.

"Christine_._ What if he comes after her, Booth?" She was shaking, and he broke the promise he made himself of not touching her and covered her trembling hand with his. "You know he would do that. He knows hurting her would be the best way to get to us."

"I will not let them hurt her, Bones." He made sure she was looking straight at him when he said the next words. "Or you. I promise you, Bones."

_And what about you?_ She wanted to scream. _What if he hurts you again? _

She knew Booth would give his own life to save theirs. Wasn't that what he did last time? But it would be different this time. She wouldn't let that happen again. She would _not_ go through all of that again. At least with him back at their house, she could also look after him.

Determined not to let Muñoz ruin her life even more, she looked at Booth and nodded.

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**So… Booth will now be back at the Mighty Hut… what can possibly happen?**

**Let's see… hahaha**

**Please review! =D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for all your reviews! You're making me so excited to write again! My classes are going to start again soon, but I'll try my best to keep the chapters coming regularly.**

**Here is chapter 4, I hope you'll enjoy it! :)**

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"You need to be careful, you hear me?" Booth told Brennan the next morning when he came to get Christine to take her to school. "Make sure you're not being followed and try not to go anywhere on your own. Don't leave the Jeffersonian unless it's really necessary, and for God's sake, Bones, please don't stay late at work."

"I feel like I'm a prisoner." She groaned and then her eyes darkened. "Or a _fugitive_."

Booth knew she was thinking of the months she was on the run when Christopher Pelant tried to set her up for murder. Those had been some of the worst months of his life, not knowing where she was, how she was… if she was safe, if Christine would forget him… if he'd ever see them again. Those months only lost the top place as worst of his life to the past months.

"It will be over soon, Bones." He tried to reassure her, even though he wasn't quite so sure about it himself. "He won't stay on the hide for so long. Soon he'll show his face. And that's why I need to make sure you and Christine are safe."

"Do you think we should really send her to school? Wouldn't it be better if we just took her out for a while? I can homeschool her and-"

"No, we shouldn't mess with her routine because of the son of a bitch." Booth shook his head. "The school is safe. I'll drop her off and pick her up everyday and I'll have a buddy of mine stakeout the school in the meantime. We should keep her life as normal as possible. The last thing we need is our four-year-old worrying about a psychopath."

"If something happens to her…" She choked.

"Nothing will happen to her." He said seriously, his voice so determined she decided she believed him.

"When will you move back?"

"Tonight." He said. "You know what, I think it's better if I pick you up at the lab myself. There's no way you should drive around on your own."

"I don't want to intrude in you life, Booth." She was not his responsibility anymore, not since they decided it would be better to go on with their lives separately.

"You're not."

"Okay." She nodded. "I'll go get Christine."

**B&B  
**

"We're going to the lab?" Christine asked excited. Booth picked her up from school and was now on his way to get Brennan. He felt a _déjà vu. _This was a regular routine of them before they separated and for a moment he almost forgot they weren't together anymore.

"Yes, we're picking up your mother." He told her.

"And then you are taking us home?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, baby, I'm taking both of you home." He smiled at her through the driver's mirror.

"Like before?" There was hope in his little girl's eyes and Booth promised himself he'd make his best to make this whole thing work. Now that he would be back at the Mighty Hut - even though it was only because there was a psycho out there trying to hurt his family - he'd try his best to be on good terms with Brennan again. They might not be able to have a romantic relationship anymore, but maybe they could still be friends. Brennan had been his best friend for almost twelve years, and it was ridiculous that they would just let that relationship go down the drain because of unfortunate events and stupid fights.

"Not exactly like before, but yeah, kind of like before."

**B&B**

He smelled the food as soon as he left Christine's bedroom, after giving her a bath and getting her ready for dinner. It smelled delicious and he felt his mouth watering. He tried to remember when was the last time he ate Brennan's food. He'd always loved when she cooked, even when they were just partners. After they got together, eating a homemade dish cooked by his partner was just another one of those many things that he had taken for granted until he lost her.

Brennan was setting the table and smiled at the sight of them. Booth felt his heart warming and held Christine's hand a little tighter.

"Oh, look at you." Brennan smiled and took in her daughter's outfit, which included a pair of stripped socks, a bright pink plaid dress and a blue bow on her head.

"Daddy let me choose my outfit!" Christine grinned.

"I can see that." Brennan bit her lower lip to keep herself from laughing. Christine obviously had gotten her fashion sense from her father. But she did look adorable, even if she looked like she dived in a rainbow. "Did you scrub behind your ears?"

"Ears and armpits!" Christine said.

"Oh, let me check that." Brennan bent down on her knees and started sniffing her daughter all over and making the little girl giggle.

"Mommy, it tickles!" The giggles turned into laughs and the adults couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, you appear to have taken an adequate bath." Brennan smiled and then, remembering previous experiences, narrowed her eyes. "I hope you didn't leave puddles all over the bathroom floor though, or you and your father will be in trouble."

Christine quickly looked up at Booth, 'busted' printed on her forehead. Brennan tried to keep a straight face. She thought of how she had lived so long without her daughter, or how one day she thought it would be better to never have children.

"We just… played a little… with the water." Booth shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just a little, Mommy." Christine opened her eyes widely and showed how little with her index finger and her thumb. "Daddy was showing me how to hit the shampoo bottles on the wall with my water gun from the bathtub."

"Booth!"

"I'm very good, Mommy."

"She is." Booth nodded. "Definitely got her aim from me."

"Well, I _am_ an excellent shot." Brennan said, straightening her body.

"Not when you shoot me in the leg while wearing a Wonder Woman outfit." He teased. _Oh, he missed this. _

"That was an accident and you dropped me-" Brennan looked at Booth and saw that he was trying hard not to laugh at her. She narrowed her eyes and pointed to the kitchen. "You can go get a squeegee and dry the floor before I get there." Then she looked at Christine. "And you, miss, can help me finish setting the table."

"Okay, ma'am." Booth said with a nod, his voice playful. It almost felt as if the last nine months didn't exist. Or that there wasn't a mad man after them.

**B&B**

Booth was back to the dining room a few minutes later. Brennan was telling Christine how to fold the napkins, her hand covering their daughter's little one as she helped her with the task. He wished he were going to sit there and have dinner with them, but he promised Brennan he would not disturb her and try his best not to make his presence notable. Everything had gone so well tonight he didn't want to take a chance and spoil it.

"The bathroom is as dry as the desert." He said with a little smile.

"Good." Brennan said.

He took the squeegee back to its place and started walking out of the dining room. "I'm just…going back to my room."

Brennan's face fell.

"What?" She creased her forehead. "You're not eating with us?"

He was taken aback. He was_ not_ expecting her to say that.

"I promised you I wouldn't disturb you, Bones." He told her.

"That's ridiculous, you can't starve." She looked so much like a mother right there that he almost chuckled.

"I can grab something to eat after you're finished." He shrugged. "I'll be fine, Bones."

"Mommy made shrimp pasta with white sauce, Daddy." Christine joined in.

His mouth watered again. It was his favorite dish. Why would Brennan cook his favorite dish the night he came back? She didn't even eat shrimp. Maybe this was her way to tell him she also wanted to try and make this work.

He couldn't say no, then, right?

He _wanted_ to make this work. If they were going to share domicile again for an indeterminate amount of time, they might as well treat each other nicely.

Plus, he was dying to eat that pasta.

"Just grab a seat, Booth." She said, the sides of her mouth turning up a little bit. He bet she noticed his stomach growling at the mention of the dish.

He pulled a chair and sat. "Okay, if you insist…"

**B&B**

He tried not to moan as he ate dinner. It was even better than he remembered. He almost forgot how it felt to eat real food. He could cook, of course. But what was the point of cooking only for himself? Besides, the kitchen in his new apartment was very small, so, lately, he'd been surviving on frozen food that tasted more like plastic than actual food.

Dinner went better than he'd expected, Christine dominating most of the conversation. She told them about her day at school and how she could now write all her relative names. She told them about the afternoon the day before that she spent with Angela and Sam and told them she was glad they didn't have another baby, because Sam pooped his pants and Aunt Angela had to change his diaper and it smelled _dreadful_. But she wouldn't mind to have a dog, though.

When they were finished, Brennan started to take the dirty dishes to the kitchen, but Booth stopped her.

"I'll do it." He said, taking the empty plates. "You already cooked, I'll clean up."

"I can do it, Booth."

"You cook, I clean." He insisted. "It's only fair."

"Okay." She agreed. "I'll get Christine ready to bed."

"But I'm not sleepy!" The little girl protested.

"You'll be after you brush your teeth, get your pajamas on and lie down." Brennan said.

"What do you say, you go upstairs with your mom and then I'll meet you there after I'm done with the dishes and we finish _Red Little Riding Hood_ since you slept halfway through it the last time we read it?" Booth offered.

"Okay." She frowned. That sounded better than nothing.

**B&B**

" _'Oh Grandma, I was so scared!' sobbed Little Red Riding Hood, 'I'll never speak to strangers or dawdle in the forest again._'" Booth read the story to his daughter. "_'There, there, child. You've learned an important lesson. Thank goodness you shouted loud enough for this kind woodsman to hear you_!'" He changed the tone of his voice as they changed characters; Christine had her eyes fixed on him. "_The woodsman knocked out the wolf and carried him deep into the forest where he wouldn't bother people any longer.__Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother had a nice lunch and a long chat._**"**

Booth closed the book and looked at Christine.

"I'll never talk to strangers, Daddy, I promise." She said.

"That's good to hear, Cricket." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her head. "Now you have to go to sleep."

"Daddy?" She whispered.

"Yes, baby?"

"Will you stay here tonight?" She asked softly.

"Yeah." He stroked her cheeks affectionately.

"And forever?" Her voice was so hopeful it made his heart ache, not only for her, but for him. There was nothing he wanted more than to come back home and live there with them forever. If only things could always go like they did tonight…

"I don't know, sweetheart, maybe."

"I hope you will."

"Me too, baby, me too" He confessed, then he leaned down to kiss her goodnight. "Now, sleep tight, tomorrow you'll have to wake up early. Good night, sweetheart."

He was about to leave her bedroom when he heard her voice again.

"Will you sleep with Mommy again?" She asked.

"No, baby, I'm staying in the guest room." He turned to look at her again, she was hugging her pink bunny against her chest.

"She cries." She murmured so lowly he barely heard what she said.

"What?"

"Mommy. She cries sometimes." She looked so sad and worried that he wanted to hold her. "She says she's not when I ask her why's she's crying, but she is, 'cause her eyes are wet. And I hear her crying in her room, too."

His heart tightened. He didn't know what to say to his daughter. He wasn't expecting this.

"Mommy didn't cry when you were here." She continued, sniffing a little. "You always hold me when I cry and when I get hurt." She said, her eyes looking at him pleading. "Will you hold Mommy too when she cries again, Daddy? 'Cause maybe then she can stop crying, like I do."

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**Oh… why is Brennan crying?**

**Were they running out of tofu?**

**Did she hear Christine says she wants to be a reality show star when she grows up?**

**The only fruit left at the market was fig?**

**Did she find out Bones will only be back in 2 months?**

**Oh, so many possibilities! ;)**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I was not going to update tonight. But I'm a weak person when it comes to nice people asking me to update soon, so here I am. Haha. Thanks for all of you who took the time to leave me a review, and the girls from tumblr who kept sending me sweet messages. :)**

**I hope you'll enjoy the chapter! ;)**

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**B&B**

_They were both tired and stressful. They had been after Fernando Muñoz for a week and if they had 10 hours of sleep in the past week altogether, it was a lot. They hadn't spent much time with their daughter and they've been surviving on late hour take-outs. This wasn't how they were supposed to spend their holiday week at all. They were supposed to go to Hodgins' beach house in Cancun and lie in the sun, not to spend their precious time at the Jeffersonian. But tonight they finally got a good lead as where to find him and if everything went well, it all would be over._

"_We'll get him, Bones. Tonight he won't escape." Booth told her at her office. They had been spending day and night over there, going over the lab results and old cases files trying to find something that could tell them where Muñoz could had been hiding. It had to be over. This couldn't go on much longer. "I'm calling for backup, you should go home."_

"_What? I'm not going home!" Brennan looked at him as if he were insane._

_He sighed, exhausted. He tried to explain it calmly. "It's going to be dangerous, Bones."_

"_That's exactly why I'm not letting you go alone." Her eyes were wide, still in disbelief. How could Booth want to take her out of the case right when they finally got to the place they were expecting to get since the beginning of it?_

"_I'm not going alone. I'll have an entire FBI team backing me up." He tried to reason with her._

"_I'm your partner, I should be with you." She told him. "This is our case."_

"_Please, Bones. Just go home and stay with Christine, you know she-" _

"_She's with my dad. She's going to be fine." He was about to talk again, but she raised one hand to stop him. "Drop it, Booth. I'm going."_

"_Fine." He sighed heavily. Sometimes he wished she wasn't so damn stubborn. "But promise me you'll do exactly as I tell you. He's dangerous, Bones. He's very dangerous."_

"_I know."_

"_Promise me, Bones."_

_She narrowed her eyes. He really wouldn't let her go otherwise, so she finally said: "Fine, Booth. I promise."_

_**B&B**_

"_Put it on." He handed her a bulletproof vest as soon as they got to the address they'd been told Muñoz had been living in the past weeks._

"_Aren't you getting one?" She asked, putting on her vest. _

"_Yeah." He showed her the other one._

_They were separated in six different teams, Booth and Brennan leading the group in the front, one pair of agents covering their backs and the four other pairs covering the streets nearby that Muñoz could use to escape when they got to his covert._

_The alley was dark, the neighborhood dangerous and Brennan was following right behind Booth. They were quiet; they had barely escaped from one of Muñoz men just the minute before. Brennan saw a bunch of rats running to an open gully, but tried not to think much of it. They kept walking quietly, until the moment Brennan felt something tugging at her vest._

"_Booth!" She whispered._

"_What happened?" He turned, immediately worried. "Did you see someone?"_

"_No." She shook her head. "I'm stuck." She pointed at the back of her vest. _

_He was by her side in a second._

"_Dammit." He tried to pull it out, but it got hooked in a huge piece of rusty nail and wasn't about to unfasten easy. He heard footsteps approaching. "We don't have time. You'll have to take it off."_

_She started to wiggle out of the vest, but she stopped when she noticed he was also taking his off. _

"_Why are you taking yours off too?" She asked. _

_He handed her his vest._

_"Put it on."_

"_No… you need it." She shook her head vehemently. He couldn't give her his bulletproof vest. He'd be completely vulnerable to Muñoz without it._

"_Bones, just put it on!" He said between teeth. They didn't have time for a discussion now, Muñoz and his men could show up at any moment. "You promised you'd do as I say."_

"_Let me lead, then." She begged. _

"_No way. You stay behind me, and please, Bones…" His gaze dropped to the gun in her hand. "…Watch that gun."_

"_Your private parts are safe, Booth." She snorted. "It's not in my best interests to hurt them, you know."_

"_Shhhh." He shushed her. "I think I heard something."_

_They stayed still, their backs against each other's, each covering one side of the alley._

"_Dr. Brennan. Agent Booth." Booth heard an annoying voice coming from behind him. He immediately turned and went to Brennan's side. "Seems like we finally meet."_

"_It's over, Muñoz." Booth said. "There are FBI agents all over the place. You're down."_

_Fernando Muñoz was a rough looking man. It was easy to tell he had a lot of years of alcohol abuse and the many scars all over his body showed his attraction to fighting. He looked dirty, he smelled like vodka, cigars and sweat. Brennan felt a chill run up her spine._

_Muñoz looked at both of them and laughed maliciously. _

"_Well, but that doesn't mean you have to win, does it?" And then he raised his gun and aimed at Brennan. At her head._

_He shot right away._

_Booth didn't think twice before jumping in front of her and bringing her down with him, shielding her with his unprotected body. They missed the first bullet, but not the three following ones. _

_Muñoz shot three times at them, three times the bullets entering Booth's body. He would have shot more, no doubts about it, if the other agents hadn't arrived after hearing the shots and gotten him down._

_Brennan couldn't move. Booth's lifeless body was on top of hers. She could feel his warm blood all over her: her arms, her neck, her chest. She was trembling. It was an unusual warm night for December and she was appropriately dressed, but she felt cold. Freezing cold._

"_Booth? Booth!" He didn't move. Muñoz had shot him. _

_Muñoz had shot him. Muñoz had shot him and he wasn't wearing his bulletproof vest. Because he had given his to her. _

_She released one of her hands and brought it up to his face. He was still breathing. It was slow, but he was still breathing. She almost broke down crying at that moment._

_He wasn't dead_. He wasn't dead.

_She had to keep her calm, if she lost it, there was no way she could be able to help him. _

_Knowing she had to keep pressure on the wounds, she tried to get herself from under him as carefully as possible and flip him so he was lying on his back. _

_He was deathly pale and he had lost a lot of blood. Both her hands were on his chest and she felt his blood slipping through her fingers. Suddenly she was at the Checker Box again, but this time was worse… it was way worse._

"_Booth, please… please…" She didn't move her hands away. "Please, please, Booth, stay with me. Stay with me!"_

_And then she felt when he stopped breathing. _

"_No… please… no. No!" She would not accept it. She would not let him die in her hands. Not again… not again… not taking another bullet for her. "No… no… NO!"_

**B&B**

Booth couldn't sleep well that night after what Christine told him about her mother, or the nights that followed.

His brain kept him awake with one thought that wouldn't go away.

_Brennan cried?_

Of course, during all those years they'd spent together, he had seen her cry many times. When she got way too involved in a case, when she found her mother's remains, when her father came back, when she told him about how she felt when she was buried alive, when she thought her brother was dead, when Zack turned out to be Gormogon's apprentice, when he woke up from surgery and didn't remember who she was, when she turned him down… when she told him her regrets… and many other occasions. People used to think of Brennan as a heartless person, but he knew better than anyone that her heart was bigger and warmer than anyone's he ever knew.

But why was she crying now? He thought she would be happy now that he wasn't there anymore to trouble her. He had been a pain in the ass after he left the hospital, he knew that, and even worse after the whole Kyle project. She should had been relieved when he left the house. They both agreed it would be for the best, they weren't happy anymore.

_Why did she cry?_

He hadn't seen her again that night after she left Christine's bedroom when he came to read her the story. When he left to go to his new room, her bedroom door was closed and he didn't hear anything.

He felt so awkward sleeping in what used to be his house but not in what used to be his bedroom. The guest room was comfortable and well furnished, just like the rest of the house. It wasn't unusual for them to have guests sleeping over. Max had used this room more than anyone else, staying over many nights when he babysat Christine. Jared and Padme would come over as well, their twin boys just one year younger that Christine.

But he couldn't feel comfortable in that big bed. Just like he couldn't feel comfortable in the big bed he slept in his new apartment. After many years sleeping next to his partner, the bed always felt cold and his arms always felt empty now that they were sleeping apart.

_Why did she cry?_

Things were going very well since he moved back. She didn't complain about being chauffeured by him to the Jeffersonian and back home. They'd have dinner together and polite conversations, always staying on safe topics. At the end of the night, she'd say goodnight for him and their daughter and he'd read to Christine until she fell asleep.

Things were great. That was what he wanted, right?

Resigned knowing he wouldn't sleep, he got up from the bed and walked to the kitchen to get some water.

It was then that he heard the muffled sounds coming from their – now hers - bedroom. He stopped on his tracks, listening. It was definitely Brennan.

Unable to stop himself, he walked up the stairs taking two steps at a time and stood outside her door. Even through the closed door he could hear her sobs, and she was murmuring something he couldn't understand.

_Bones._

_What was happening?_

_Was she awake?_

_Should he get in?_

_What if she was hurt?_

_What if Muñoz had broken into their security system and was now with her?_

When he heard her shouting a loud "_No!_" so desperately, his hands moved by themselves and tried the door, which opened easily.

Brennan was alone in the room. She was lying on her side of the bed, curled up facing his side and grabbing the edges of her comforter, the tears falling down her face. She was sobbing and her body trembling, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

"_Bones?" _He called her softly. Was she even awake?

She didn't move, just cried even harder. _"No… please… no… no!"_

She was having a nightmare; it had to be a nightmare. He knew she had them from time to time. Even when they were just partners she had admitted she sometimes would wake up in the middle of the night after dreaming of him drowning and Hodgins bleeding. They would also happen constantly after she came back home with Christine and Pelant hadn't been caught yet.

_But why was she having nightmares now?_

She looked so tiny and vulnerable lying like that, bathed only by the moonlight. He hated to see her crying.

"Bones." He tried to call her again, but she just kept crying, completely lost in her own world.

"_Will you hold Mommy too when she cries again, Daddy?"_

Christine's sweet voice filled his brain. Her pleading blue eyes and Brennan's sobs broke down every barrier he put up around his heart when he decided to come back home. He had promised he would behave himself and not let himself get hurt again, but how could he leave Brennan like that?

"_Dammit_." He swore. He had to do something. In hell he'd just watch Brennan hurting the way she was and not do anything about it.

He took three big steps and climbed to the bed, lying on his side.

"Bones." He touched her shoulders lightly. He felt his own body trembling a little at the touch. How long had it been seen he last touched her? Let alone in their bed? "Bones…"

"_No… no…" _She shook, still fast asleep.

What the hell was she dreaming about? And why was it making her so unsteady?

"Bones, wake up." He said softly, forgetting everything they fought about. Right now the only thing he wanted was to end her misery. He brought her closer to him and stroked her shoulder affectionately. "Come on, baby, wake up, you're having a nightmare."

Her crying began to subside and he felt her snuggling closer to him, as if she finally felt his presence.

"Wake up, Bones… it's just a nightmare." He murmured.

He felt her stiffening in his arms, her eyes slowly opening. They blinked a couple of times before focusing on his face. She looked so surprised to see him there with her that he was afraid she'd kick him out of bed.

"Booth?" Her voice was husky and had a hint of desperation. She looked at him as if she was seeing a ghost. _"Booth."_

"You were having a nightmare, Bones, it's okay now." He didn't try to move away from her, neither had she tried to pull away from his embrace.

But she was still looking at him as if he wasn't real.

"You're here." She whispered, her hands traveling around his chest to make sure he was there in flesh. And then she cried again.

"I'm sorry, Bones… I heard you crying and I was worried…" He started to disentangle himself from her. "But don't worry, I'm leaving, I promise I won't-"

But he couldn't finished his sentence, because she grabbed him by his shirt and leaned her head on his chest, holding him so tightly he was breathless for a moment.

_What the hell was happening?_

"Don't leave." She was crying again, her tears soaking his shirt. "Please, don't leave."

He almost felt like crying too. He forgot about everything and wrapped both his arms around her, desperate to take her pain away. He had a lot of time to deal with their issues later.

"Shhhh, it's okay, Bones." He kissed the top of her head, never letting go of her. "It's okay, baby."

"Don't leave." She murmured again against his shirt.

"I'm not going anywhere." He stroked her back up and down trying to sooth her, his cheek resting on the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

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**Who else needs a hug from Booth? ;)  
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	6. Chapter 6

**Remember that in the last chapter I said Booth and Brennan had slept a total of 10 hours during the week they worked on the Muñoz case? I'm feeling like that this week. **

**But you were all so incredibly awesome last chapter! I can't see another way to thank you all for your kind words other than giving you an update.**

**Next week I'll be even busier, but I promise I will do my best to keep the updates coming. Believe me, I'm a big reader and I know how awful it is to wait for updates. ;)**

**I hope you'll enjoy this one! :)**

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Booth woke up feeling more rested than he did in a long time. He was feeling so comfortable he didn't want to open his eyes just yet. He was feeling warm and he smelled something sweet. His arms were holding something soft and he held it a little tighter. The warm body snuggled closer to him.

His eyes popped open.

_Holy crap. _

He was back at his bedroom._ Their_ bedroom. And it was Brennan who was sleeping with him, in the bed. The same bed. _In his arms_.

_What happened?_

He stayed still for a second, and then the events from the previous night suddenly came back to him, hitting him like a heavy brick on the head: how he couldn't sleep and went to get himself some water, hearing her crying in the middle of his way and coming to her rescue. She didn't say anything when she opened her eyes and saw him there, she just held him tightly and asked him to stay with her. She cried and cried until she fell asleep again in his embrace. And somewhere in the meantime, he obviously fell asleep too.

He moved a little to get a better look at her. She looked young and innocent without her make up on and with her hair hanging loose around her head, she had one of her hands hid under her right cheek and the other was resting over his hand on her waist.

She probably wouldn't even remember what happened. She was so agitated when he woke her up from her nightmare that she'd probably think she was still dreaming.

He had to get out of there before she woke up and this ended in one of those awkward situations that could lead them to a fight. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he took advantage of her. Granted, they didn't do anything besides sleeping together in the most innocent meaning of that expression, but he broke his promise to her. He was there in their bed, holding her while was only wearing his faded FBI t-shirt.

_Oh. My. God._

He didn't realize until that moment that her legs were bare. Nor that she was wearing his old t-shirt. It was dark and most of her body was covered by the blanket when he came to see her the past night, but now in the light of the day he could see all of her.

_Why was she wearing his shirt? _

Of course, that was what she used to wear every night – that is, when she wore anything – when they were together.

"_It's so much more comfortable than those frivolous nightgowns, Booth." She told him when he asked her about it._

"_Well, I think you wear them because you want to smell like me."_

"_That's ridiculous." She laughed it off._

"_But it's true."_

"_No, it's not." She said. "I wear them solely because of the comfort of it, that's all."_

"_Hey, Bones?" He smirked at her mischievously._

"_What?" _

"_You know what's even more comfortable than sleeping with my old shirt?" He took a few steps towards her._

"_What?" She eyed him up and down, unable to hide her smile._

_A few seconds later, the shirt flew across the room._

But now they weren't together anymore and he was certain he had taken that shirt with him. Well, he obviously didn't, or she wouldn't be wearing it now.

He took another look at her and smiled. She looked adorable in his shirt. It was way too loose for her, her left shoulder was popping out of the neck hole and somehow, during the night, the hem of the shirt ended up above her hips.

When other parts of his bodies began to awake too, Booth decided it was time to leave that bed and avoid even more embarrassment. There was no way they would discuss their situation this morning. Especially in his current condition.

Knowing he wouldn't have another opportunity in the near future, he kissed her on the temple one more time before carefully disentangling himself from her. He missed the contact immediately.

Brennan groaned, but she didn't wake up.

He sighed relieved.

He hadn't slept with another woman since the break up. Not that he didn't have opportunities, it'd been six months already and he was still a good-looking guy with a nice smile and a good job – not to mention that women seemed to be much easier these days - it was just that he never felt like it. He went out with some buddies from the FBI a couple of times and even danced with a bottled blonde with a great body and probably at least a decade younger than him, but it just didn't do it for him. When she kissed him, he didn't feel anything but disgust. Even though they had a bad break up and weren't speaking with each other - and he suspected Brennan was already with someone else, he couldn't let himself be with anyone else without feeling like he was cheating on her.

Which was very stupid, of course. But once you have all you've ever wanted in life and then lose it, it's hard to settle for something less amazing than what you once had. He had grown used to his family life, and he never really liked the whole going out every night, get a different woman every day and drink until he was dizzy single life to begin with.

And then he hated her for that. Hated her for giving him everything and then taking it away. It wasn't only her fault, he knew he had plenty of guilty in the matter, but when he was in pain and bitter, it was easier to blame her than to blame himself. But in those moments, he hated her. Because now he couldn't even have another woman to help him to ease the pain.

Taking one last glance at her, he flew out of the bedroom. He needed a cold shower.

**B&B**

Brennan smelled pancakes and fresh coffee when she got to the kitchen. She had slept in that morning, waking up almost two hours after her usual time. She wasn't sure why that happened, she was never late, all she knew was that she had slept better than she did in months.

"Pancakes, Bones?" Booth asked her from the stove.

"Good morning, Mommy!" Christine greeted her from her chair, the plate in front of her filled with pancakes and fruits. She was all dressed for school, even her hair was done, tied up in a ponytail with a red rubber band matching her shirt. Booth obviously woke up early and got her ready for the day. He also looked showered and ready for work.

Brennan planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Good morning, honey."

"Daddy is making pancakes!" Her daughter announced excitedly.

"I can smell it." She smiled slighted and leaned on the counter. "I slept in." She said to no one, but since the only other people in the kitchen were Booth and Christine, there weren't many options as to whom she meant to say it.

"Daddy told me not to wake you up." Christine said. "I knew you should wake up because my Hello Kitty's arm was past her pocket on my clock and you always wake me up when her arm in _on_ the pocket."

Brennan looked at Booth waiting for an explanation.

"An extra hour of sleep won't kill you, Bones." He shrugged it off, than taking another good look at her: "God knows you needed it."

She looked offended. She might not have been sleeping through the entire night in the past months, but she thought she was doing a good job with the make up.

"No offence." He said, noticing her frowning face. "But you don't look like you've been sleeping well lately."

Knowing about her nightmare now, he wondered if they happened constantly. Christine told him he heard her crying in her room before, more than once, could that happen every night? He wanted to talk to her about it, see what he could do to help, and he thought this conversation could be an opening to the subject, but she changed the topic before he could ask her more.

"The pancakes do smell good, I think I might accept one." She said, taking the seat next to her daughter.

"They are _deli-cious_." Christine, said, her mouth full.

"Christine, what did I say about talking while you're chewing?"

"Sowy." The little girl swallowed.

"Coffee?" Booth asked.

"Yes, please." She missed that, having someone taking care of her.

"We have fifteen minutes, or Christine _will_ get late to school." He said, passing her a place with warm pancakes.

"I don't mind!" Christine said, grabbing another pancake.

**B&B**

The day had been uneventful.

Dr. Kyle had to go to a location to check new developments on the project and Brennan was glad she could spend her day at the bones storage. She'd always liked working with the old Bones, some of them were completely forgotten for over one hundred years. The pleasure she got from giving closure to those people, even if it's decades - sometimes centuries - late, was priceless.

And working on limbo always gave her so much peace of spirit. Those were some of those rare moments she was completely alone and in silence, talking only with the bones, sometimes with some soothing music playing on the background.

She became a lot more sociable in the past years, she loved her daughter more than anything in the world and she had learned she did not want to be alone anymore, but she still enjoyed those little hours of the day when she could just be alone with herself.

The bones she was looking at that late afternoon were from a young soldier from World War I, and she was staring at his ulna when someone entering the room disturbed her silence.

"I see you're talking to the bones again." He said with his usual charming voice.

"I don't actually talk to them." Brennan didn't bother to look at him.

"But you read them, you get what they say and you give your opinion on the matter, that makes a conversation in my book." He smiled, leaning casually on the table.

"Please, don't touch the table." She glared at him. "Can I help you with anything, Dr. Kyle?"

She thought he'd been gone for the entire day, but it seemed that she was wrong. She met Kyle back in Maluku, when she went to the expedition a little over five years ago. He was a successful archeologist and he was good-looking, funny and charming. He had all the women in the island at his feet. But not her. That seemed to raise his interest in her at the time, and although she'd always acted professionally around him, she liked to think that they had become friends. So, when he asked her to help him with this huge project that would change history, she didn't think twice before accepting. It would take place in DC, she would not have to leave her daughter, she would work with something she loved and that she hadn't been able to work with in a long time, it would not endanger her life or her family's life, Kyle got the Jeffersonian as base for the project and the timing had been perfect. There wasn't one good reason to say no.

"Well," Kyle began. "I just wanted to remind you about the banquet tomorrow, you know, for the fundraiser."

"Oh." She had forgotten about that. She didn't mind going to those events in the past, they weren't as dull and boring with Booth cracking jokes about the snobbish people who thought that they ruled the world. But this year they weren't going together, so she loathed the idea of the banquet. She'd have to spend the entire night with a fake smile on her face and listen to arrogant people bragging about themselves. "I completely forgot about it."

"I thought so." He smiled, his teeth so perfectly aligned that Brennan was certain he wore braces on his youth. "So, can I pick you up at your place tomorrow at 8?"

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**Uh oh.**


	7. Chapter 7

**You people really don't like Dr. Kyle, do you?**

**Tsc tsc, that poor good-looking, nice, rich guy…**

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"What?" Brennan gasped. _What did Kyle just say?_

"Is 8 not a good time?" Kyle raised one eyebrow. "I don't think it would look good if we got there late, Brennan…"

"No." She was so shocked that she didn't know what to say. "I'm not… I'm not going to the fundraiser with you."

"Of course you are." He grinned so pretentiously she suddenly wanted to slap his perfect face.

"Excuse me?"

"We are the heads of the project, we have to go together. It will make it look good." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides, I heard you'd always go to these events with your partner in the past, and now I am your partner."

_Did he just compare himself to Booth?_

Brennan suddenly felt sick.

"You're not my partner, Dr. Kyle." She snarled. "You're my co-worker."

"I thought working together in a huge project made us partners." He commented, looking a bit hurt.

"No, it doesn't." He didn't understand the meaning of the word partner. Partner didn't mean only to work together. It meant to have each other's back, it meant to be there for each other in the good and in the bad moments. It meant to have celebratory drinks after closing a case, it meant giving your life if necessary to protect your partner. She had only one partner in her life, they weren't speaking a lot to each other lately, but he would always be her only partner. The fact that he risked his life so many times to save hers was what made her decide she couldn't keep her working partnership with him anymore. Not when she actually saw him dying in her arms, felt his lifeless body and saw his unfocused eyes. He was dead for a minute, and the paramedics had been able to bring him back to life, but that didn't mean that he didn't die. For twice in her life, Temperance Brennan had seen her partner die and come back to her. She didn't want to take another chance. She couldn't count on luck for a third time. _What if he never came back? _"It makes us co-workers. I don't partner up anymore."

She would still help the FBI with identification sometimes, but she didn't get involved in the cases anymore. Booth finally accepted the promotion they were trying to give him since he got back from Afghanistan and he was now working on a desk job that gave him way more money, but Brennan knew that he detested. And he blame it on her, she knew that, because he'd told so her many times. The FBI wouldn't let him go out on the field when he the doctors said he was ready to come back to work again, it would take a little time before that. But without Brennan as his partner, there was no point in keeping the field job anymore. He loved the job, he was a man of action, but he wouldn't get another partner.

It upset her that he wasn't doing something he loved, but she couldn't help feeling so relieved that he wasn't in the line of fire anymore. She hoped he could find something he loved inside the FBI, but when he started, he was just so pissed at her for severing their partnership that he wouldn't even allow himself to enjoy any of it.

But she was the one who sat on that chair next to his hospital bed for seven days when he was in a coma after the shooting, with no idea if he would ever wake up. The doctors told her it had been a miracle that they could bring him back to life; one of the bullets just missed his heart by a millimeter. And it wasn't as if it was her first time in that position, waiting to see if he would ever wake up again. She loathed being there and she'd been there more times than anyone should. And now they had their daughter to think about. Christine needed her father, and so did Parker.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Kyle, but I should get going." She started to gather the bones and put them back in the box they belonged.

"So, are you saying that you're not going to the fundraiser with me?" He asked in disbelief.

"I believe I was clear about it when I told you just a minute ago." She turned around to put the box back on the shelf. "But of course, I expect to see you there tomorrow since our presence is mandatory."

Otherwise, she wouldn't go herself.

**B&B**

Booth was watching _The Beauty and the Beast_ for the 893rd time with Christine while they waited for Brennan to come home. He left the FBI earlier – the desk job did have its up sides – and they were now sitting on the comfortable couch in the living room and sharing a bowl of popcorn. He wasn't sure if Brennan would approve of the popcorn before dinner, but he liked to think that a little indulgence wasn't that bad once in a while. It made those moments special. His daughter, like 9 out of 10 4-year-old little girls in the world, loved the fairy tale movies and would want to watch them over and over again, never getting tired of them. And since he had a really hard time saying 'no' to Christine when she asked him to watch the movie with her with those begging big blue eyes, he had no choice but to sit there and sing along to _Be Our Guest_.

Not that he would ever admit to anyone that he knew all the lyrics to that song.

He had to be careful, though, because those damn songs were super catchy and sometimes he'd catch himself humming them at work. And nothing brought down the strong, macho FBI Agent façade more than being caught singing a Disney song.

But he loved those moments with his daughter, and there was no way he'd give them up just because some silly songs would get stuck in his head.

"Where does Belle live?" Christine asked, getting a handful of popcorn.

"In France." He told her.

"Oh." She looked at him surprised.

"Oh, what?" He chuckled. She had that Brennan's expression on her face, the one she had when she just realized something.

"Dr. Kyle asked Mommy to go to France with him the other day."

Booth felt his body burning. He did_ what_? What was happening now? They were going on little romantic trips together?

He tried not to think about it. He and Brennan had been doing well. They might even become friends again. And especially since the past night, he held hopes that maybe, just maybe, they could even get back together one day.

But now Kyle wanted to take her to France?

"Dr. Kyle asked Mommy to go to France with him?"

"Yeah, but Mommy said no." She shrugged. "Oh, I love this part!"

Christine jumped off the couch when Belle came on screen wearing her famous yellow dress.

Booth knew that he wouldn't get anything else out of her now, but something inside him softened now that he knew Brennan didn't accept the invitation. Maybe he had been wrong before.

"Come on, Daddy! Let's dance. Up, up, up!" Christine pulled his hand. "You're the Beast!"

He chuckled as he got up on his feet. "Fine, fine."

But Christine wasn't happy only with the dance, they had to do all pleasentries and greetings that lead to the dance, so she bowed in front of him and expected him to do the same.

"Princess Christine, will you give me the honor of this dance?" He asked her, reaching out for her hand.

"Yes, I will, Prince Daddy!" She grinned widely and his heart skipped a beat. He enjoyed these little moments so much that he already felt sad that his daughter was growing up so fast. He knew it wouldn't be long until his baby girl would want a pimpled boy to dance with her instead of him.

So, he took her tiny hand in his, placed another hand on her waist and started dancing.

**B&B**

Brennan was welcomed home with the sight of Booth and Christine dancing in the middle of the living room. They were so into their dancing that they didn't even noticed that she had arrived, so she leaned on the wall and just took her time watching the adorable scene.

Christine had stepped on Booth's feet and they waltzed around the room, her little girl's laughs warming her heart. She knew Booth would be an excellent father, but witnessing scenes like this one just showed her how lucky her daughter was to have him, and more than ever she was glad about her decision.

"Mommy, you're back!" Christine shouted with a smile on her face when she finally noticed her mother after they finished the dance. "Come watch _The Beauty and the Beast_ with us!"

She smiled. "I'd love to, honey, but I have to make us dinner."

"But we are eating popcorn!" Christine lifted the popcorn bowl and Brennan gave Booth a glare.

"Just once, Bones… and Cricket here promised to eat all her dinner, didn't you?" He smirked at his daughter.

"Yeah, Daddy, everything but the cucumbers, 'cause I hate them." She winced.

"Fair enough, right, Bones?" He said, and then whispered to Brennan. "_You know I also hate cucumbers._"

"_But don't say that out loud or she'll never eat them again_." She whispered back.

"_I know, that's why I'm whispering_."

Brennan just shook her head. "Okay, I better get going to the kitchen because unlike the two of you I didn't stuff myself with popcorn and I'm starving."

"I'll help you." Booth said quickly, following her to the kitchen.

Christine was so into the movie again that she didn't complain about their absence.

"Christine told me Kyle asked you to go to France with him." Booth said while cutting the vegetables.

Brennan looked up at him surprised.

"I didn't know she heard that." She said. "I should start watching what I say when she's around. Christine is becoming quite a blabbermouth."

"That doesn't seem to bother you when she tells you things about _me_." He said cockily.

"She doesn't-" She stopped, because that was true. Since she wasn't talking much to Booth anymore, the best way to keep herself updated about him was from the things Christine told her. "Dr. Kyle asked me to go to France for a conference, he wanted me to present our project." She explained, even though she didn't owe him an explanation. "I told him I wouldn't go."

"Christine told me that, too." He said.

"Then why did you bring it up?" She raised one eyebrow.

"I-" He started, but suddenly he couldn't remember why he felt the need to comment that. "I don't know… I just… I think I just miss talking with you, that's all."

She didn't say anything, because she didn't know what to say, so they just worked in silence for a while.

"I'll come home late tomorrow." She finally spoke. "I have to attend the Jeffersonian Fundraiser Banquet."

"What time should we be there?" He said without thinking. They were working together doing dinner, so completely in synchrony that he forgot it wasn't like before anymore.

"What?" She asked startled. She was not expecting him to say he'd accompany her.

"Well…" What was he going to say? He was so used to accompany her to those events for the past what, 10 years, that when she said she was going tomorrow, he didn't figure he wasn't going too. He had to think fast. "I'm not letting you go there alone when there's a psycho trying to hurt you."

"I'm not going to be alone, Booth, the whole Jeffersonian is going to be there." She said.

_Including Dr. Kyle, _he thought bitterly.

The thought of Brennan all dressed up and free for all those squints to dance with her and flirt with her got him on his nerves. There was no way she was going alone. Besides, what he said was true, no one could know if Muñoz would find a way to get in there. He wouldn't take chances.

"Still, it's dangerous." He said.

"It's not dangerous." She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be fine, Booth."

"Drop it, Bones. I'm going."

"But you hate those events." She looked at him. "You say all those squints together bore you more than watching chess games on TV."

"I don't hate them that much." He shrugged. "Last time wasn't that boring, was it?"

She blushed when she remembered the Banquet party the year before. They found a way to sneak out of the party and go to her office to have some private time together. Booth would never look at her desk the same way after that night.

"Are you sure you want to go, Booth?" She asked. It wasn't as if she didn't want him to go. She did enjoy his company at those parties, even before they got together.

"Yes, Bones, I am sure." He smiled.

"Then, fine. If you insist." She smiled back, and for a moment it was just like before. "I'll call Dad and see if he can watch Christine for us."

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**Anyone wants to see Booth and Brennan all dressed up for the Banquet?**

**What could possibly happen at a party at the Jeffersonian? **

**Are they vising Brennan's office again?  
**

**Let's see!**

**Please let me know your thoughts!**

**P.S: I hope you all get **_**Be Our Guest **_**stuck in your head, because I'm singing it for days now and it's just fair, so here it goes:**

_**Be our guest  
Be our guest  
Put our service to the test  
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie  
And we provide the rest  
Soup du jour  
Hot hors d'oeuvres  
Why, we only live to serve  
Try the grey stuff, it's delicious  
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes  
They can sing  
They can dance  
After all, Miss, this is France  
And a dinner here is never second best  
Go on, unfold your menu  
Take a glance and then you'll  
Be our guest  
Oui, our guest  
Be our guest**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello!**

**Thanks again for all the reviews and alerts! They make my day! =D**

**I'm sorry for taking longer than usual to put this one up, but I literally don't even have time to sleep lately, much less to write. But here we are and I hope you'll enjoy it. :)**

**It's fluffier than the other chapters, so I'm not so sure about it. Haha**

**And I'm sorry about the more than usual mistakes you'll probably find!**

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"Why can't I go with you?" Christine pouted. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet dangling in the air, watching Brennan getting dressed for the fundraiser. She did not like to be left behind, especially when her parents were going to a party. Christine Booth _loved_ parties.

"It's going to be a party for adults, Christine." Brennan explained for the fifth time that night.

"But I want to go!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I love parties."

"You would hate this one, honey, there will be a lot of old people saying boring things. I wish _I _didn't have to go." She sighed.

"But they have cake, and I love cake." Christine said. "Especially if it's chocolate cake, then I _really_ love it, Mommy."

"Well, if you want to go to the party just because of the cake, I can bring you some. I'm sure you're going to have a lot more of fun here playing with Grandpa than at the party with us." Brennan reasoned.

"But will you bring me a_ big_ piece of cake?" She asked, now starting to like where this conversation was going.

"Christine, you know how I feel about you eating sugar during the week." Brennan frowned.

"Daddy says you can never have too much pie." She said, but then, realizing that this wouldn't work in this situation, she added: "Or chocolate cake."

"On weekends." Brennan said. "And your father shouldn't eat that much of pie anyway, it's not healthy at all."

"But it's _deli-cious_." Christine added, sighing delighted, and her mother had to laugh. She was so much like Booth sometimes, especially when it came to food, much to her despair. "And Daddy says nothing that delicious can possibibly be bad for you."

"_Possibly_." Brennan corrected her automatically.

She took another glance at her reflex on the mirror. It's been so long since she dressed up to go out, she felt anxiety growing inside of her. Booth offered to go with her just because he wanted to protect her, but she couldn't help feeling a little nervous. She wanted to look nice. For the first time in months, she was actually excited to get ready to go out.

"Do you think it looks good?" She turned around so Christine could have a full view of her. Usually it would be Angela who would be there helping her as she got dressed, but now her best friend was married with two children, one of them still a baby, so tonight her four year old would have to occupy that place. Plus, she enjoyed these mother and daughter's moments.

"You look very pretty." Christine grinned. "Like a princess."

She smiled warmly at her daughter. Christine was looking at her with amazed eyes, as if she was the most incredible thing in the world. She remembered those times when she was the little girl watching her mother and felt her heart tightening. She suddenly felt a need to hug her child, and she kneeled near the bed to do so.

Christine little arms immediately wrapped around her mother's neck and hugged her back. Brennan kissed her cheek and smiled at her.

"I love you so much, honey." She said looking straight into her eyes, so much like her own. "You know that, right?"

"Yes, and I love you too, Mommy." Christine touched her mother's cheek with a tiny hand. "And you're the most beautiful and awesome Mommy in the whole world!"

Brennan chuckled. "That's nice to hear, although, you're probably biased."

Christine furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know what that means."

"It means…" She tickled her daughter a little on the ribs, making the little girl giggle. "…that since you only had me as your mother during your entire life, you don't have anyone else to compare, therefore, I have no competition."

"But I wouldn't want _any_ other mother." She shook her head, looking outraged with the idea of having another woman as her mother. But then she looked again at Brennan and smiled. Christine had her eyes and nose, but when she smiled, all Brennan could see was Booth. "'Cause I already have the _best_."

Brennan felt her eyes stinging and couldn't resist hugging her daughter again. "You really want that chocolate cake, don't you?"

"Why?" Christine asked confused.

"Never mind." She chuckled and got up on her feet again. Taking one last look at the mirror, she put on the earrings and thought she was good to go.

"I want to be as beautiful as you are when I grow up." Christine said, still on the bed.

Brennan smiled.

"You're going to be more beautiful." She kissed the top of her head.

"Daddy thinks you're the most beautiful woman _in the planet_." Christine said, touching a lock of hair that fell free on Brennan's face.

"And how do you know that?" Brennan asked suspiciously.

"'Cause he told me, of course." She shrugged, looking at her mother as if wondering how she even had to ask.

"Of course." Brennan smiled. "Alright. We should get going, I think your grandfather is already here."

**B&B**

"I'm glad to see that you and Tempe finally got your shit together and you're living here again." Max said. He arrived a little early and was now sitting with Booth in the living room.

"We're not together, Max." Booth felt the need to remind the old man. Although he did want to make things work with Brennan again, he didn't need Max sneaking his nose into it. Things were already way too complicated as they were. "I told you the reason I'm here is because Muñoz escaped."

"And you better get that son of a bitch and kill him this time." Booth noticed his eye's going dark. He knew what he was thinking, and if he had the opportunity this time, he wouldn't think twice before ending the life of that worm.

"You know, I really hope you don't swear like this when you're watching Christine." Booth raised his eyebrows.

"Of course not. I can be a gentleman when the occasion calls for it." Max said, looking a little offended.

"That's good-" Booth stopped mid-sentence when he noticed that Brennan was coming down the stairs in the most fabulous black dress he'd even seen. It was long and strapless, and it hugged her body exactly in the right places. Her hair was long, wavy and hanging loose around her shoulders, just the way he loved it. The shadows he saw earlier under her eyes were gone, and she now had carefully applied dark eyeliner that made her blue eyes stand out and pink blush on her cheeks. She was without a doubt the most breath-taking woman he'd ever placed his eyes on.

"Close your mouth, son, or you might catch some flies." Max said, a knowing smile dancing on his face. "Won't you say hello to your grandpa, boo boo?"

Christine quickly run down the last steps of the stairs and flew into her grandfather's waiting arms.

"We gave her such a beautiful name, and between you calling her "boo boo" and Booth calling her an insect, I don't know what's worse." Brennan sighed dramatically.

"Hey! Hodgins approves of my nickname for Christine." Booth said.

"Which should be more than enough evidence that it's not a very suitable nickname for a child." She said, but her tone wasn't serious. She had to admit she thought it was cute. Besides, Booth had a thing for weird nicknames. And she wouldn't want to change her own nickname for anything in the world, even though she knew everyone thought it was strange.

"I like when you call me Cricket, Daddy." Christine said.

"See?" Booth grinned, knowing he won that discussion.

"Don't you kids have to be at a fancy party in fifteen minutes?" Max felt the need to remind them and stop that before the bickering turned into something else. He knew when the two of them started bickering, it could go on forever, and although it was often very entertaining, they_ did_ have a party to attend.

"Oh. Yes, we do." Brennan took a full look at Booth, who was looking his best in a tux. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep. _I was just waiting for my lady_." He said playfully, but then he noticed the little slip and bit his tongue. "I mean, I was just waiting for _you_." He wasn't looking at Max, but he could feel his grin.

"Then, we shall go." Brennan gave Christine another kiss. "You behave with your grandfather, okay?"

"I always do." Christine said.

"Alright." Brennan said doubtfully. She knew Christine could get away with anything with her grandfather.

"Bye, bye, baby." Booth hugged his daughter.

"Just go, you two!" Max practically shoved them out the door. "And please_, don't behave!"_

**B&B**

It was a warm September night and Brennan enjoyed the breeze on her skin when she stepped out of the car. The ride to the Jeffersonian had been pleasant, with her and Booth chatting about the radio news and listening to good old songs. Neither of them brought up Muñoz or his case, and Brennan was glad about that.

They were walking toward the entrance, walking side by side but not touching each other. It felt a little awkward, but touching was dangerous. When they were almost getting to the party, Booth stopped on his tracks, making sure she was looking at him before speaking.

"I just wanted to say… you look… very beautiful, Bones." He had wanted to say that earlier at home, but back there he was so embarrassed that Max had noticed his amazement that he didn't find the courage to compliment her in front of her father.

Brennan caught his eyes, he was staring at her as if she was the most wonderful thing in the world, and she felt her blood running up to her cheeks. Following his lead, she allowed herself to take another good look at him, taking it even a little bit further and fixing his bowtie.

The intimate gesture made Booth freeze for a moment, but neither of them tried to step away.

"You look very handsome yourself." She commented, smirking a little. "But again, you always look quite handsome."

That somehow snapped him back to reality and he smiled at her cockily. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." Her voice was husky and she noticed his breath quickening. They were standing close, and she could smell his cologne. Booth wasn't the kind of man to wear perfume or cologne, but he did it on occasion. He smelled wonderful. _This was getting way too dangerous_. "Well, except that time you didn't shave for weeks and looked like a furniture mover."

"Hey, I thought the unshaved look was sexy." He joked.

"No, not really." She wrinkled her nose and he laughed.

"Alright, Bones." He took her arm and linked it with his without asking. She didn't complain. "Let's get to this party already, your squints must be looking for you."

They had barely made it to the entrance when an anxious Hodgins came to meet them.

"Brennan! Thank God! I was going crazy in here…" He started saying, but then he noticed Booth standing next to her and gasped. "Booth! What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Hodgins, it's nice to meet you too." Booth joked.

"No… I mean, it's great that you are here… I just… I think I'm surprised." He said, looking back and forth from Brennan to Booth before letting out a laugh. "Oh, man, Angie will go nuts when she finds out you came here with Dr. B."

"Why?" Brennan asked confused.

"You and Booth, coming to the fundraiser together?" Hodgins raised one eyebrow. "And actually talking and not looking like you want to kill each other? Are you kidding me? That's kind of new. I mean, at least in the last months…" But then Hodgins realized he was talking too much and bit his tongue. "She'd just be thrilled to see you guys here together, that's all."

Brennan thought it was better if they didn't dig into that topic, she herself didn't know what was going on between her and Booth anymore and she didn't want to get even more people in the mess.

"Where is she, by the way? We were all supposed to be here." Brennan frowned. She was surprised not to find her best friend there. Out of all of them, Angela was the one that enjoyed this events the most. In fact, the rest of them actually dreaded it.

"Sammy got a fever." Hodgins explained. "Poor little guy was crying his lungs out when I left. I'd like to skip this little party too, but Cam threatened to prohibit my experiments for a month if I didn't come, and I can't really risk that." His eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh, man, that's Mr. Howard. Let me get out of here before he sees me and starts another talk about his new oil tanker… "

Hodgins was out of there in a blink of an eye, but Booth and Brennan weren't fast enough, and before they knew it Mr. Howard was there and chose them as his new audience. Hodgins was right. The man was unbearable.

"I think I'll get us some drinks, alright, Bones?" Booth opened a fake grin. He felt bad about leaving Brennan alone with the old talking mummy, but he couldn't stand another second listening to the man. _"I think we both will need it." _He whispered and she nodded hopelessly.

Brennan could barely believe it when she found herself free of Howard a couple of minutes after Booth went to get their drinks. But it didn't take long until someone else came to talk to her.

"Brennan!" Dr. Kyle zigzagged through the crowd to get to her. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come anymore!"

"I told you I was coming. It's mandatory." She said. He looked good in his tux, but somehow she'd always found his hair way too blonde and his eyes way too blue.

"Wow, you look gorgeous." He opened his mouth enchanted, looking shamelessly at her, keeping his eyes a little longer than necessary on her cleavage.

If Booth's gaze a little earlier made her blood run hot in her veins, the look Kyle was giving her now made her body grow cold.

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand grabbing her by the waist and before she knew what was happening, she was standing right by Booth's side, his free hand holding two glasses of champagne. He handed one to her, but his eyes were on Kyle the whole time. And they were fuming.

Brennan usually complained about Booth's alpha male tendencies, and how he shouldn't be so possessive. Lately she could claim that they were inadmissible, since they weren't together anymore, but now looking at him, holding her so possessively and looking at Kyle as if he wanted to cut the man in tiny little pieces, she thought it was kind of hot.

Kyle had been the cause of plenty of their discussions in the past. Booth had to stay at the hospital for three weeks after the shooting, and another month at home resting after he was discharged. For a man of action like himself, there was nothing more irritating than being stuck at home. He had to go through a lot of hours of physiotherapy everyday, the seven days in coma left him some damages he had to work on. He felt useless and Brennan was threating him as if he might break at any moment. He was constantly in a bad mood, he hated that he felt pain whenever he breathed, he hated that everyone threated him as an invalid and he despised himself for almost letting Muñoz kill him and Brennan. So, he was cranky, and when Brennan tried to help him to get to the shower or walk downstairs, he complained. He didn't want help. He was supposed to be the one taking care of her, not the opposite.

When Brennan told him she was coming back to work and that they wouldn't work together anymore, two weeks after he was released from the hospital, things just got worse. When he learned that she'd go on a project with Dr. Anthony Kyle, it was the last straw. No matter how much she assured him that they were just working on the research and there was nothing else between them, he wouldn't believe her. And everything went downhill after that.

Now, standing in front of Kyle, Booth hated the man just as much as he hated him in the past. He was arrogant and he looked at people as if he owned the world. Also, Kyle was taller than him, and Booth hated man taller than him. Another thing he'd never admit out loud, of course.

"I guess I figure now why you didn't want to come with me to this party." Kyle said wryly. "I didn't know you and FBI guy here were back together."

_He asked her to come with him?_

The nerve of the man!

Brennan felt Booth's grip tightening on her waist and decided not to correct her colleague. The last thing she wanted was the two of them ending up in a fistfight in the middle of the ballroom. And by the look on their faces, they wouldn't need many more reasons to start one.

"Booth offered to come with me." She said simply. "Aren't you supposed to make a speech in…" She glanced at the big antique clock on the other side of the room. "…five minutes?"

"Crap." Kyle groaned. He was on his way to the stage when he saw her across the room. "Yes, I was on my way… never mind. I'll talk to you later." He said, knowing better than to make a scene in the middle of this party. He had millions on stake and this project would make his name unforgettable. Brennan was smart and very attractive, but she wasn't worth losing his career.

"I _really _hate that guy." Booth snarled as soon as the doctor turned around to leave.

**B&B**

The rest of the night went smoothly, Brennan went on squint mode while talking to some of the investors and Booth kept whispering silly stuff in her ear, making it hard for her to keep the seriousness on her face. He loved that he still could make her laugh. Since they started talking again, this was the first time he saw her looking genuinely peaceful, even if she had to talk to some of the most annoying and tiresome people in DC.

"If I have to go through another conversation like that…." She said when one of the most important executives in town finally left, but froze as soon as she noticed someone else walking towards where they were. "Oh, no. Oh no, no, no, no."

"What?" Booth asked, automatically reaching for the gun he had hidden inside his tux. But it wasn't Muñoz or one of his men that was coming towards them, it was a middle aged woman wearing a terrible fuchsia dress and a face that made Booth think she should sue her plastic surgeon. "Who's _that_?"

"Mrs. Howard." Brennan winced. "She's even worse than Mr. Howard. And she's coming towards us." The idea of a conversation with Mrs. Howard made Brennan want to cry. The last time she had the displeasure, Brennan had to hear the woman talk about her exotic orchids for an hour. "Do something." Brennan looked up at Booth desperately.

"What?" He blinked in surprise.

"Do something, Booth." She asked again, desperation clear in her eyes. "Do something, but please don't let her start talking to us."

"What do you want me to do?" He was confused.

"I don't know… anything!" She turned her head to look behind her. "Oh, God, she's getting closer…"

Mrs. Howard was ten feet away when Booth decided he could do something.

So, before he started thinking too much about it and stopped himself, he grabbed Brennan's wrist and pulled her closer to him, leaning his face down to hers until their lips finally met.

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**What?!**

**Don't look at me like that!**

**At least this one is a good cliffhanger, right? ;)**

**p.s: I bet you want to hug Mrs. Howard and her fuchsia dress right now.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back! :)**

**And here is chapter 9!**

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Booth had wanted to kiss Brennan since he first saw her that evening, looking fabulous in that black dress. He did not, though, expect to do it in front of 500 squints and the fancy people of Washington. But the moment his lips touched hers, he couldn't care less if the Pope himself was standing in front of him. Her lips were just as soft and sweet as he remembered. She didn't respond to the kiss at first, he felt her stilling in his arms with surprise, but once she relaxed a little, she kissed him back as if she wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss her.

He didn't know how long they kissed, but it must had been for quite a while, because when they finally broke apart, Mrs. Howard was completely out of sight.

_Mission accomplished._

Brennan was still in his arms, they bodies so close that her cleavage was touching his chest. She was looking at him as if she was still trying to process what just had happened. She had a wrinkle between her brows and her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen. He wanted to kiss her again. And again.

"You asked me to do something." He said in a low tone of voice, feeling a little guilty for taking advantage of the situation, but never regretting it. "That was the first thing that came to my mind."

"That was… very effective." She traced his face with her eyes. "I mean, Mrs. Howard obviously went somewhere else."

"I'm glad she didn't interrupt us." He smirked.

The corners of her lips trembled a little and he knew she was trying not to smile. He hoped she was glad about that too.

The lights went down a little and the band started playing a slow song. Plenty of the couples started gathering around the ballroom to dance and Booth knew he couldn't let the opportunity to dance with his ex-partner pass. He knew that she loved to dance, even though neither of them was very skilled at that. But it didn't matter, because they always had a lot of fun doing so, and that was the point of it, right?

"Wanna dance, Bones?" He asked her, finally untangling his arms from her body, just to grab her hand and walk her to the dance floor.

"Sure." She walked behind him.

_It still feels like our first night together  
It feels like the first kiss and it's gettin' better baby  
No one can better this_

They found a spot near a pilaster that would give them a little bit of privacy and Booth brought her closer to him again. Brennan didn't hesitate and snuggled even closer to him, her hands holding on his shoulders.

_I'm still holdin' on, you're still the one  
The first time our eyes met - it's the same feeling I get  
Only feels much stronger - I wanna love you longer  
You still turn the fire on..._

Booth almost laughed when he actually listened to the lyrics of the song. Could it be any truer? No matter how mad he had been before, no matter how jealous or how hurt he was, nothing could make him stop loving her. Since his eyes met hers that day at the lecture at the American University, he knew she was the one. He knew that any other woman he met from that moment on would never come closer to her. When he actually got to know her, he was even surer about that. She was his standard, she was his other half, and they complete each other.

_So if you're feelin' lonely...don't  
You're the only one I'd ever want  
I only wanna make it good  
So if I love ya a little more than I should_

He felt her head resting on his shoulder, her little nose brushing on his neck and sending electrical waves through his body. He held her a little tighter. He didn't want this to end. He didn't want to go back to those days where they wouldn't talk or he couldn't hold her. Having her in his arms again just reminded him of how much he missed her, how wrong he had been to ever let her go. How stupid he had been since he left the hospital.

_Please forgive me - I know not what I do  
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you  
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through  
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do  
Please believe me - every word I say is true  
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you_

He couldn't help laughing. Brennan shot her head back to look at him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked confused. He seemed amused, so, she did not worry.

"It's just… this song…" He shrugged.

"You don't like Bryan Adams?"

"I like _you_." He whispered, his eyes not leaving hers.

He was afraid she would flee, but she wasn't that Brennan anymore. She hadn't been since she came back from Maluku. She thought she'd lost him then, she thought she had been too late, but they got their second chance. She wasn't afraid of feelings anymore.

Instead of letting go of him and finding an excuse to go somewhere else, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, still swaying with the music.

"I like you too, Booth." She whispered in his ears. "Very much."

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Bones."

**B&B**

They almost dreaded leaving the party and going back to real life. Booth never thought that he'd ever want to stay longer at a Jeffersonian fundraiser party, but tonight had been so splendid he didn't want it to end.

They had kissed and danced and he'd made her laugh. The night could not get much better than that.

So, when they finally got home and knew that the night was really over, they both had similar frowns on their faces.

"Thank you for going to the party with me, Booth." Brennan said when they reached the bottom of the stairs. She was holding two chocolate cupcakes she brought for Christine, and she should take them to the kitchen, but she didn't want to leave him yet. "It's been a while since I had so much fun at a Jeffersonian party."

"It was my pleasure, Bones." He smiled charmingly. "I had a lot of fun too."

There was an awkward silence and neither of them knew what to do next. Booth kind of hated that they were back to this point, where he was afraid to touch her or say the wrong thing.

"I should take Christine's cupcakes to the kitchen." She pointed awkwardly to their kitchen. "And go to bed. Tomorrow we'll have to wake up early."

"Yeah, right." He nodded, holding himself back not to grab her and kiss her again. "Goodnight, Bones."

"Goodnight, Booth."

He took another glance at her before turning to walk to his new room, alone.

Brennan wished he had taken the stairs.

**B&B**

"That was so not fair." Angela stormed through Brennan's office doors the next morning.

"Good morning, Angela." Brennan didn't pay much attention to her friend and kept looking at her notes. But then she remembered what Hodgins told them about the baby being ill: "How is Samuel?"

"He's doing great, thank God, the fever is completely gone. It's almost as if fate didn't want me to go to the party last night and see you and Booth back together." She sighed. "So not fair."

"We're not together, Angela." Brennan looked back at the notes.

"Well, that's not what Hodgins told me." Angela rested her hands on her waist. "Plus, half the Jeffersonian is talking about the two of you kissing in the middle of the ballroom and in front of everyone. There are some pictures too."

"There are pictures?!" Brennan's eyes were now on her friends' face.

"And videos." Angela added with a mischievous smile. Brennan's eyes went wider. "I didn't get hold of them yet, but Mandy from Greek artifacts promised to send them to me as soon as she got here."

"Angela!" Brennan said bewildered.

"I just hope the footage is good. You never know what to expect from those amateurs videographers." Angela sighed.

"I can't believe this." Brennan shook her head. "I simply cannot believe this!"

"Sweetie, you can't really expect to kiss Booth in the middle of a party these days and not have it recorded. Especially here at the Jeffersonian." Angela smiled. "The two of you have been everyone's favorite soap opera for the past what, 12 years? And suddenly you break up and no one can believe it. So, one day the two of you, who haven't been talking for months, come to the party together _and _kiss? It's like, the episode everyone was expecting eagerly to watch. And I'm so glad they have videos, because Hodgins might be able tell a thousands things from a handful of dust in excruciating details, but he's terrible at details when it means describing a scene."

Brennan just stared at her friend stunned.

"Don't look at me like that, I can send you a copy if you want to." She smirked.

Brennan just shook her head again.

"Mrs. Howard was coming to talk to us." She finally found her voice.

"What?" Angela asked.

"Mrs. Dolly Howard, you know her, Mr. Howard's wife. She's quite tiresome and I was not willing to start a conversation with her, so I asked Booth to do something to stop her." Brennan explained.

"And he kissed you?!" Angela almost laughed. _Those two_.

"Yes. It was very effective." Brennan nodded. "I didn't see her for the rest of the night."

"Was it good?"

"Of course, you know how annoying that woman can be."

"I mean the kiss, Brennan! Was it good?"

Brennan blushed, remembering the past night.

"Well, yes." She said. "Booth is a very talented kisser."

Angela smiled knowingly.

"Of course." She decided to give her friend a break, mostly because she was curious as how they got there. "And do you care to explain me how the two of you ended up going to the party together?"

Brennan still hadn't told her friend about Muñoz escaping from prison. She didn't want her to worry, but now it seemed wrong to keep quiet about it, so she told Angela everything.

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry." Angela frowned. "I can't believe that monster escaped!"

"We'll get him again." Brennan said, although her tone wasn't so certain. "I'm quite confident about it."

"Booth must be going nuts."

"He's worried, but Muñoz hasn't done anything yet." Brennan told her. "But the FBI is watching closely, if he tries anything, they'll get him."

"I hope so, Sweetie, I hope so."

Angela had been there with Brennan after Muñoz was caught and Booth was shot. She had never seen her friend more miserable, not even that first time Booth died. Back then they had only been partners and Brennan closed herself off completely and wouldn't talk to anyone. But this time had been worse. They were a couple, they lived together and they had a child. She couldn't simply ignore the rest of the world. And he didn't die. He survived. Even though he was in a coma, she was there to help him fight to have his life back.

He had survived, even though their lives fell apart after that.

Muñoz deserved to pay for what he had done.

He ended up making her friends break apart, but maybe now that they had to join forces to catch him again, he could bring Booth and Brennan together.

**B&B**

Brennan worked the entire day in limbo, trying to focus on the bones lying on the autopsy table instead of the previous night or Fernando Muñoz. She didn't like that no one had heard anything from him yet. Usually no news meant good news, but for them no news also meant no leads and therefore no way to know where he might be hiding.

When the clock struck five, she called it a day and went to her office to get her things before going home. Booth was picking up Christine from school and they were going to meet her at home.

She was taking off her lab coat when she noticed an unfamiliar envelope on her desk. It had no sender, and the only thing written on it was her name, written in very sloppy handwriting.

Her heart flipped, and not in a good way.

She put her gloves back on, she had a pretty good idea who send her this, and it would be better if she did not compromise what could be very good evidence.

Carefully opening the envelope, she found only a picture and a note inside of it.

She forgot how to breathe for a moment as she looked at a picture of her daughter at school, smiling as she waved to someone - probably Booth when he was dropping her off - wearing the flowery sundress and matching headband she chose that morning.

_Your little girl looks adorable today, Dr. Brennan. She's got your eyes._

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**Okay, I have a confession: I love cliffhangers! :D**

**p.s: Mandy from Greek Artifacts also sent me a copy of the B&B kiss at the party. If you want one, just ask me! Gotta love technology. ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I was supposed to update yesterday, because it was dear Biba's birthday and this story is dedicated to her, but I didn't have time to finish this chapter on time, so here it is… a little late, but still here.**

**So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIBA! I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THIS WORLD!**

**Thank you for being such an awesome friend! I hope you enjoy this chapter (and how this story is turning out!)**

**P.S: I want to thank _nicolee23 _****for being sooooooo nice with me and sending me corrected versions of the chapters. She's incredible. Thank you, girl! :)****  
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_._

_._

_Your little girl looks adorable today, Dr. Brennan. She's got your eyes._

Brennan read the note over and over again, wishing the words would change when she looked at them one more time. She just couldn't believe it.

No.

Not Christine.

_Anyone but her daughter._

Reminding herself that it was a picture taken from a hidden place, probably a tree, and that it didn't mean that they had Christine, she breathed in and out and reached for her phone to call the only person who could make her feel better about all of this. She was a smart, rational woman, and wasn't she the one who always said they should get all the evidence before making a conclusion?

She would_ not_ freak out.

Except it was really hard to keep her calm and be rational when it was her baby girl who was in danger.

"Booth." He answered in the first ring.

"Booth, it's me." She said, not able to hide her anxiousness.

"Bones, what's wrong?" He asked, picking up the tension immediately.

"Did you get Christine from school?" She asked hastily.

"Yeah, we are on our way home, why?" He sounded a little confused.

Brennan let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding. _Christine was with Booth. She was fine. Muñoz hadn't gotten her. Her baby was safe. _

For now, at least.

"_Is it Mommy, Daddy?" _Brennan heard her daughter's sweet voice in the background and felt relief running through her body. _"Tell her we're making cookies for dessert!"_

She smiled to herself, feeling so blessed for still having her daughter with them. She'd make sure they made the _best _cookies tonight.

"I got a note. With a picture of Christine." She told Booth, knowing he would understand it right away.

"Do you think it's him?" He didn't want to say his name out loud for the little girl in the backseat to hear.

"I can't think of anyone else."

"_Dammit!"_ He cursed. But then, remembering he had Christine behind him, he added: "I'm sorry. I'll tell you what, Bones: see if you can find if anyone saw who left the envelope in your office. I'm on my way to pick you up."

"Okay."

"Bones."

"What?"

"He'll not hurt her. I promise you."

She didn't answered, but he heard her nodding, if it was even possible. "Just be careful, Booth."

**B&B**

She asked around if anyone saw who left the envelope in her office, but seemed like the thing just showed up there, because everyone said they didn't see anyone suspicious in the lab. The mailman didn't even come that afternoon, Cam had told her. She ended up having to tell her boss about the escape, and how Muñoz was now after them. Over five years ago, the Jeffersonian ended up being a crime scene, it proved Brennan that it wasn't as safe as she'd always thought it was. They didn't have any other problem like that in the following years, but now that she got that envelope and no one knew about it, it just showed her once again that it still wasn't that safe.

Booth picked her up not long after she ended the call, and she didn't let go of their daughter until they got home. Christine didn't seem to mind her mother's overly attention and played with her hair on the ride back to the Mighty Hut.

They decided it would be better to keep their routine so she wouldn't notice something changed and that she might be in danger, so she made chocolate chip cookies with her mother and they had dinner together. Booth read her a story before going to bed. It was just like any other night, except Brennan knew it was different.

Booth told her that she shouldn't worry, that the next morning the FBI would be encircling the quarter where Christine studied, ready to catch whoever was taking the pictures. He agreed that it would be better if they didn't send her to school until the case was resolved, and Brennan decided to take the following day off to be with her daughter.

But still, it didn't make her feel any better when she laid her head down on the pillow and tried to sleep. All those scary moments she had to go through during their partnership suddenly came to her mind. She remembered the time she was kidnapped by agent Kenton, and when Booth was abducted and tortured during the Cement Head case. She remembered the Gravedigger and Gormogon and Broadsky and Pelant. They came so close to death during so many times… she thought it would be over once she severed the partnership. But she couldn't forget that some of those people who tried to end their lives were still alive and, even though they were behind bars, they still planned their revenge. They now had plenty of time to plan the best way to ruin the people who sent them to jail. Muñoz was just one of hundreds. Anyone with half a brain would know the best way to end hers and Booth's life was doing something with their precious daughter. The thought gave her chills.

She felt a tear running down her cheek, she didn't even realize until that that she had been crying.

_Could this year get any worse?_

**B&B**

As she stood at his bedroom door, feeling anxious and unsure, she was taken back to that night five years ago when everything changed. She had also been crying and in need of his comfort, but this time somehow it was different. No one had died, but worry was eating her alive. _She needed him._

She thought about knocking, but she didn't want to startle him, so she tried the doorknob and it opened easily.

She should know better, though, because just like it had happened before, as soon as she opened the door, Booth was up on his bed aiming his gun at her.

"I'm… I'm sorry." She gasped, holding her hands up, waiting for him to recognize her and lower the gun. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No… I'm sorry." He put the gun back on the nightstand and rubbed his face. "What's wrong? Did you hear something? Is Christine okay?"

"Yeah… everything is fine." She said, her voice low. She went to her daughter's room to check on her before coming to his bedroom. It was kind of soothing to see her little girl sleeping so peacefully, completely unaware of what was happening around them. "It's just… I can't sleep."

"You're worried." He said, stating the obvious.

She nodded, taking a few steps closer to the bed.

"I can't stop thinking about Muñoz, and how close he had been to Christine. Then I started thinking about all those times we got hurt and…" Her voice failed, and she felt his hands on hers.

"Come here, Bones." He said, bringing her down with him.

"If anything happens to her, I'll die, Booth." She confessed, her heart beating so fast against her ribcage she was certain he could feel it. "I mean it."

"Hey, nothing will happen to anyone, you hear me?" He brought her closer to him, tucking her head under his chin. "Unless you mean Muñoz, because we'll get that son of a bitch."

"I can't stand it anymore." She said against his shirt. "I hate being in this position, not knowing what will happen, scared that I might lose someone I love. I thought that once we weren't working together anymore, it would be over, but I was wrong. It will never end."

"Bones…"

"You died, Booth. You died in my arms. _Twice_." She was now openly crying, and he hugged her a little tighter. "I never told you how really terrible it was for me when they told me you died that time you got shot at the bar. For the first time in my life, I had someone I could count for everything, someone that cared about me and worried about me. And suddenly you were _gone_. You promised you'd never leave me, but like everyone else, you did. You _died_, because you took a bullet for me. I felt your blood in my hands… and… and you were gone… There wouldn't be any more takeouts over paperwork, or early morning coffees. You wouldn't show up at my door in the middle of the night anymore and I would never see your smile again."

"Bones…" He tried again, but once she started talking, she wouldn't stop until everything was off her chest.

"I went to your apartment, you know. I didn't tell anyone, but I went there. I wouldn't cry at the lab, and I kept a strong façade for everyone to see, but inside… I felt like I was dying myself. So I went to your apartment and cried. I felt safe there. It still smelled like you, and I could see you in every single thing in there. It was like if I closed my eyes, I could feel you there with me." She wiped her tears away, shaking her head. "But it didn't matter in the end, because you weren't there. You died because of me."

"And I would do that as many times as I could, if that meant to save your life." He whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I know. And you did." She sobbed, grabbing the collar of his shirt as if that would bring her even closer to him. "You took me down when Muñoz shot at me, and you shielded me with your body, even though I was wearing a bulletproof vest and you weren't."

"He was aiming at your head." He reminded her, his heart skipping a beat with the memory.

"And you weren't wearing a vest because of me. Because I was stupid and got myself stuck."

"It was an accident, Bones."

"It doesn't matter, because you died anyway. The paramedics were able to bring you back, but it doesn't mean that you didn't die again in my arms. You were in a coma for a week, Booth, no one even believed you would come back this time. The bullets missed some of your organs by millimeters, you lost too much blood and the damage was so severe it would be a miracle if you'd ever wake up. People would look at me with pity at the hospital, as if they knew it was just a matter of time until you were gone forever. And this time, it was worse than any other, because we also had Christine. She stayed with Angela, and my dad would come over to watch her too, but whenever she saw me, she wanted to know where Daddy was." She sobbed, resting one hand over his heart, to remind herself that he was there, that he was still alive.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Bones." He was crying too. During his recover, he was so mad about himself, so angry for putting her in danger again and he hated so much all that he had to go through during physiotherapy that he never thought how hard it must had been for_ her_.

"I've been on that hospital chair way too many times, Booth." She raised her head to look straight at him. "I don't want to be on that spot ever again. That's why I thought it was better to end our working partnership. I thought… I thought maybe that way I would keep you safer. I never gave up hope… I knew you wouldn't leave me if you could find a way to stay here. But I can't expect you to come back every time. I can't count on luck."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she silenced him, bringing her finger to his lips.

"You thought I ended our partnership because I wanted to go on that project with Dr. Kyle, that I didn't want to continue to work with you because I found someone better." She winced, finding hard to believe he could even think something like that. "I've never had anything with him besides work, Booth. But no matter what I told you, you wouldn't believe me. I could never have anything with anyone else, because I loved you way too much."

Booth felt his heart breaking. _He had been so stupid. _

"I'm sorry for being such a pain in the ass after coming back from the hospital." He apologized, not knowing what else he could say.

"You were hurt, it's understandable to feel annoyance and irritation." She said. "Besides, you're an alpha male used to be on charge of everything, it would be expected for you to behave the way you did when you were obliged to rest for a large amount of time and needed help doing ordinary things."

"I behaved like a spoiled child, Bones. You shouldn't defend me. I was selfish and only thought about myself." Then he remembered how he had gotten even worse after she came back to work. "And then I wouldn't believe you when you got back to work, and I accused you… I was so mad… so jealous…" He shook his head embarrassed. "Oh my God, Bones, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry."

"It's over now, Booth. It doesn't matter anymore." She sniffed.

"I should have believed you." He brushed her hair with his fingers. "Instead, I accused you. I only saw my side of things, I only thought about how hard it was for me to be in that position, I never stopped to think how hard it must had been for _you_. I don't deserve you, Bones. You shouldn't even look at me anymore."

She looked up at him, his eyes were covered with tears, just like her own.

"Don't say that." She wrapped her arms around him. "These past months have been awful." She said against his neck. "I miss you so much."

He gulped, he didn't want to openly cry, but he felt so relieved it wasn't just him who had been feeling that way that it was hard to keep the sobs.

"Oh, God." He said, tilting her head up. "Not as much as I miss you, baby. I can guarantee you that." He wiped her cheeks with his thumb, caressing her face. "These months away from you have been the worst in my life, I didn't have one good night of sleep since I've been sleeping alone."

Brennan chuckled between her tears. "I know, the bed feels so big without you there, and the room is way too silent without your snores."

"I don't snore!"

"Yes, you do." She smiled warmly, bringing one hand to his cheek.

"You like to steal the covers." He said with a smile of his own.

"And you like to use that as an excuse to hold me in the middle of the night." She reminded him, and he smiled wider.

"Well, that's true." He said, finally bringing his mouth down to hers and kissing her, this time not because he had an excuse and she wanted him to keep her away from an annoying woman, but because he wanted to kiss her and because he _could _do it.

"We don't have to sleep apart anymore, do we?" He asked, between kisses. "Because that really sucks, Bones."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

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**Gah, here we are. B&B are together again. What do you think about it? ;)  
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	11. Chapter 11

***knock, knock***

**Anyone here?**

**HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY**

**Is anybody here?**

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**I know. I'm awful. You probably don't even remember what this story is about anymore. I'M SORRY. I know Biba is probably 89 years old by now, but I promised I would finish it, so here it is. :)**

**Oh, and I want to thank everyone who kept sending me messages here and on tumblr asking me for updates. This probably would have taken much longer without you. *****hugs*******

**Ok, so before you read it, here's some recap in case you forgot: B&B separated after Muñoz almost killed Booth. They caught the man, but he escaped. Booth moved back to the Might Hut to protect Brennan and Christine. Last chapter before this one had Booth and Brennan making up. (see, at least I'm not evil enough to leave you with B&B still mad at each other. I left them in bed. For four months. In fact, I think they probably want to thank me for that!)**

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Booth woke up with the sound of the birds singing outside his windows. He realized he didn't have much of sleep the night before, but he felt so light and well rested that it was like he had slept for days. He knew the reason of such incredible feeling was the woman sleeping in his arms.

He was so happy he could barely believe it was real, and if it wasn't for Muñoz's escape, he'd be sure he was dreaming, because right now, with Brennan sleeping soundly in his bed and their daughter safe in her room, Booth felt like life couldn't get any better than this.

But Muñoz existed, and he had to get up and go to work to make sure his family would stay safe. Getting out of that bed would be the hardest thing he'd done in years.

He looked at Brennan, sleeping so peacefully by his side, a hint of a smile on her face. He remembered the previous nice and grinned. He knew they were good together, but the night before was the most incredible he could remember. Maybe it was because he didn't sleep with her – or anyone – for the past six months, but something was different now.

He brushed back a strand of hair that fell on her face, letting his hand linger a little bit on her soft cheek. She looked so precious, laying there wearing nothing but her dolphin ring, her limbs tangled with his in the mess of sheets.

Her eyes twitched before opening slowly and looking at him lazily.

"Good morning, Bones." He said, leaning in to kiss her.

"Good morning, Booth." She smiled, touching her forehead to his. "This is a very good morning."

"I have to agree." He kissed her again, this time a little longer.

She laughed. "We need to get up."

"Do we really?" He pouted like a little boy.

"Yes." She kissed him. "As much as I'd love to spend the day here in bed with you…" Another kiss. "…Muñoz is still out there and we must get him."

"Do we really have to talk about him right now, after the amazing night we had?"

"I'm sorry." She wrinkled her nose. "And Booth… I want you to know… I really want you to believe this… I've never had anything with Kyle. Or anyone else for the matter."

She said that so serious he wanted to hug her to make her know that he believed her. Of course he believe her. He'd been so stupid before. So he did.

"I didn't have anything with anyone either, Bones." He planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I couldn't. You ruined me for other women. I swear… I even tried…"

"You did?" She sounded a little hurt and he couldn't help but chuckle when she lifted her head a little to look at him with knitted brows. It wasn't everyday that he got to see his Bones jealous.

"Yes, but like I said… you ruined me, Bones. I went out with the guys a couple of times, but all I could do was see everything those women didn't have and you did. All I could think was that they were not you."

"I can't say I'm not happy to hear that…" She smirked, stroking his chest and lifting her head to kiss him again, when a scream stopped her halfway to his lips.

"DADDY!"

Christine's shriek startled them, and before they knew it, Brennan was grabbing her t-shirt and Booth was putting on his pants, their hearts in their throats. They shouldn't have left her sleeping alone in her room… what if… what if…

"DADDY! DADDY!" They heard footsteps near the bedroom door, and suddenly the door was spread open and a rosy-cheeked Christine broke into the room. "Mommy is gone… she's not in her room… and… MOMMY!"

Christine run towards the bed, and jumped in it before any of them could say anything.

"Christine! What's wrong?" Brennan pulled her child in a hug. "Did something happen to you? Are you hurt?!" She started looking for bruises in the tiny body.

"I woke up and I went to your bedroom and you were not there! And you were also not in the kitchen and not in the bathroom!" The little girl said a little breathless, her mother finally letting go of her foot after she made sure everything was fine. "You never leave without kissing me good morning! I thought you were gone!" Christine threw her arms around Brennan's neck.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I thought you were still asleep." Brennan kissed the top of her head.

"I woke up and I was hungry." Christine explained.

Booth chuckled. "Hungriness always makes us anxious and makes us think about the worst."

Christine creased her forehead and looked from her father to her mother and then to her father again, as if only now she realized her mother wasn't alone in the guest room.

"Daddy? What is Mommy doing here in your room?" She asked curiously.

Booth looked at Brennan, as if asking her what he should say, but she just shrugged.

"Mommy wasn't feeling well and she came here to see if I could make her feel better." He explained. It wasn't that far from the truth. They didn't like lying to their daughter and there was no reason to hide this from her.

"And you did?" Christine asked a little worried. "I don't like when Mommy is not feeling well."

"Oh, yes, I did." Booth sent Brennan a mischievous grin.

"Your father is very good with soothing." Brennan smiled.

"I know. He's very good at making me feel better when I'm not feeling well. He sings and he reads me stories and he makes me laugh too." Christine agreed. "And then after you made Mommy feel better she slept here with you, Daddy?"

"Well, since she was already here and the bed was big enough…"

"You'll sleep together in the same bed again? Like before?" Christine asked them hopeful.

"I don't know… what do you think, Bones?" He smiled at her.

"I think that would be more practical. I don't think my dad likes sleeping in Parker's room that much." She said thoughtfully, fighting a grin.

"Then, I think the more reasonable thing is for us to sleep together again." Booth nodded.

"Forever?" Christine's smile opened widely.

"Well, we can't promise forever since there are so many circumstances that we have to-" Brennan started her squint speak, just to have Booth stop her.

"Yes, baby, forever." He said, pulling both his girls in a hug.

**B&B**

"I don't have to go to school today?" Christine couldn't believe it when her parents told her she would stay home for the day.

"You heard it right, Cricket." Booth winked. "You're going to play hooky with Mommy. Isn't that fun, uh?"

"But… it's not my birthday yet. I check my princess calendar everyday and it's not today!" The little girl was confused. It wasn't like her parents to let her skip a day at school.

"Well, I thought you'd enjoy to have a day off with me. A Mommy and Daughter's day." Brennan said.

"Like that one we had at school when all the mommies went and we spent the afternoon having tea parties and you sang to my class?"

"Yes, just like that one. But this time we can stay at home and do whatever we want. What do you say?" Brennan smiled, hoping her daughter would cease with the questions. Christine was very perceptive for a child her age, and Brennan knew she had gotten that from her father. Maybe she would want to be a cop too one day. Brennan hoped not, though. Just thinking about her daughter doing the dangerous job gave her chills… _Maybe when she grows up she'll decide she likes science better_, Brennan told herself. _Or maybe math. Or history_. _Or just anything that doesn't involve gunshots and bomb explosions_. Brennan already had enough of that for a lifetime.

"We can do _anything_ we want?" Christine asked with a smirk on her face, obviously warming up to the idea.

"Yeah, anything."

"You sang for Christine's class?" Booth interrupted them, amused with the idea. He knew she liked to sing when she was young and she sang for Christine when she put her to bed, but he hadn't seen much of that side of her, singing in front of an audience, since he almost died while she was singing_ Girls Just Wanna Have Fun._ They once sang _Hot Blooded _in a rock camp, but that was different. It was their song and they sang it together.

"Yes." Brennan said. "You know I'm an excellent singer. They were having a contest. Christine wanted me to participate."

"She sang that song from _Mary Poppins_, Daddy." Christine told him excitedly. His daughter loved Disney's animated movies more than anything else, but Brennan was doing a good job getting her daughter interested in the old classics too. He wondered how he hadn't heard about that before. Probably because Christine knew that talking about Brennan saddened him during those horrible months. He couldn't be happier that they were over now. "That hard one with the big word. Everybody loved it so much that they asked for another one and then she sang _The Wizard of Oz_'s song! And she won!"

Brennan smiled smugly.

"Oh, really?" He teased her. "That good, Bones?"

"I told you. I'm excellent." She tried not to laugh.

Their little chitchat was interrupted by Booth's cell phone ringing. All the easiness of the morning went away when they saw Shaw's name on the screen. She was the one handling the case and she had promised to call Booth as soon as they found something. Booth got up from the table to answer the phone and Brennan nodded when he looked at her before going somewhere out of Christine's earshot.

He was back two minutes later, his forehead creased with worry, but Brennan noticed the determination in his eyes.

"Can we watch _Brave_ and then do some painting?" Christine continued babbling, fortunately unaware of her father's mood change. "Mommy, do you think Aunt Angela and Michael would like to play cookie with us?"

That got a little laugh out of Booth. No matter how bad things were with Muñoz, he was so happy to have his family back.

"I think you mean "play hooky", baby." He said, coming closer to her and kissing the top of her head affectionately. Then he raised his eyes to look at Brennan. "I think that would be a good idea, Bones. Why don't you call her?"

Brennan got the message. He didn't want them alone while he was away, even though there were undercover cops surrounding the house, just in case Muñoz decided to pay a visit.

"Sure." Brennan nodded. "Christine, why don't you go get the DVD and your painting set while I call Angela?"

"Okay!" She jumped out of the chair. "Tell her to ask Michael to bring his painting set too!" She shouted as she ran to gather her things.

"What did Shaw say?" Brennan asked as soon as their daughter was out of the room.

"They found Muñoz's hiding-place." Booth said. "I have to be at the FBI in fifteen minutes. We're going in, Bones. We'll get the son of a bitch. And I'll make sure he'll _never_ bother anyone again."

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**Please raise your hand if you're still reading! **


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